Light and Magic
by Allenator05
Summary: Sunset Shimmer has made mistakes in her past that she's trying to move on and learn from. What happens when she meets an iron-willed Guardian with a similar past? (Work in progress, still trying to work out the story.)
1. Welcome to Equestria

She stood before the Vex Warp gate and stared. The gate itself consisted of a series of bronze colored metal hoops partially buried in the ground with a large metal circle behind. This particular gate was inactive and she was in the process of activating it. Rather, her Ghost was.

"I just want you to know, this is a terrible idea," it said, while scanning the Vex structure. Its shell was matte black with a carbon fiber pattern, giving the appearance of scales or feathers.

"You don't have to keep reminding me Raven," she replied sharply. The Ghost ignored her and continued scanning. "Are you sure this will work?"

"No," she replied simply. "Osiris is the resident expert on these things and he isn't exactly here right now to offer pointers."

"If the Vanguard find out about this, they won't be happy," Raven said.

"You think I don't know that?" she replied, raising her voice.

"Shh! Keep it down! Are you trying to attract attention?" Raven asked.

"If you think it will help you work faster, then yes," she replied curtly. Raven grumbled to himself. His poor Guardian had been under a lot of stress recently, and he suspected their current actions were the reason for it. "I still can't believe you met with Dredgen Yor," he said.

"His name is Rezyl Azzir," she corrected.

"Rezyl Azzir is dead," Raven shot back.

"He's a hero of the City and one of the greatest Titans who ever lived," she replied.

"Dredgen Yor is a murderer!" Raven replied. She said nothing in reply, but silently agreed. Dredgen Yor had become rather infamous for killing several prominent Guardians and scores of others. "That may be so, but it was important for the plan," she said.

"There are easier ways to fake your death," Raven said. "Saoirse will be crushed when she finds out."

Her resolve started to crack at the mention of her name. Now was not the time. She needed to be strong. This was for the sake of the future. She steeled herself and her moment of weakness turned to anger. "If you have time to talk, you have time to work," she replied. Unconsciously, her hands balled into fists.

When the Traveler first came, Venus was terraformed into a lush garden world. Grand cities were built and the Ishtar Academy was founded as a rival to Clovis Bray. Between these two giants of research and technology, humanity's understanding had increased in leaps and bounds. The scientists of the Ishtar Academy specialized in studying the Vex, a race of highly advanced mechanical beings that seemed to travel through time. Numerous Vex ruins had been unearthed on Venus and Mars, providing no shortage of research material for the scientists.

After the Collapse, all of that was lost. The great cities and places of learning had fallen into ruin. Teams of Guardians fought with Fallen and Vex over the remains, in an attempt to recover lost knowledge. And right now, she was attempting to use that knowledge to hijack the Vex network and hotwire a portal.

Although Venus had been terraformed and habitable for human life, the atmosphere was still toxic from the many active volcanoes. The acidic rain constantly fell, and would further add to her stress if not for her energy shields and armor. By now she noticed her hands were tightly clenched and she made an effort to relax her grip.

"This shouldn't be much longer," Raven said, and she gave a nod in reply. As much as she tried to suppress it, her thoughts turned to the City and the Tower. Surely, word of her death was being circulated by now. If all went to plan, she would be mourned as another victim of the fallen Guardian Dredgen Yor. She didn't blame him. Many Guardians had become disillusioned with the endless cycle of death and rebirth, fighting for Humanity's survival. All because of the Traveler.

Her lips curled and a growl formed in her throat. There was no denying that the Traveler had been a boon for mankind, advancing technology and understanding in leaps and bounds. At the height of the Golden Age, Humanity had colonized the planets and moons, and was actively reaching for the stars. But it all came at great cost and mankind was almost made extinct. And what has the Traveler done since then? Nothing but hang over the City as a constant reminder of what had been lost.

The portal started to hum and flashed to life. A cloud of white energy appeared in the center of the portal and rippled like water. "The portal is active," Raven said. "I hope you know, there is no guarantee this will work."

She stood up straight and squared her shoulders. "It doesn't matter now. This is the path I have set and now I must walk it."

Raven hovered closely over her shoulder. "I hope you know what you're doing." She said nothing and stared defiantly into the portal. Raven disappeared in a flash of light and the Warlock Hildr, formerly known as Valkyrie, stepped into the portal to meet her fate.  
==========

Sunset Shimmer sat at her desk and frowned. She made a face and tapped the pen against her chin and thought about what to write. So far, all she had gotten was _Dear Twilight Sparkle_. She growled and rubbed her head. "Why is this so difficult right now?" she whined.

It's not like she didn't have anything to write about. She and her friends had recently returned from summer camp at Camp Everfree. There, they discovered strange magical phenomena and many mysteries surrounding the camp. Ultimately, they had to fight with a camp councilor possessed by magic in order to save the camp. And to keep the camp from being sold, the campers organized a party and raised enough money. During all this, Sunset Shimmer and her friends discovered that their magic was slowly evolving and growing stronger. A stone pendant hung around her neck as a reminder of what happened.

Sunset Shimmer sighed and pushed away from her desk. It was getting late. Her journal entry could wait until tomorrow. She rose to her feet and paced around her room. "I still don't quite understand how Equestrian magic works in this world," she muttered. "Clearly this world is being influenced, but how? Is it my fault for coming here in the first place? Did I bring it with me?" Feelings of guilt quickly washed over her and her body sagged. No matter how many times she apologized, no matter how many times her friends forgave her, Sunset Shimmer still felt responsible for what she had done. "Opening the gate and going through the mirror surely weakened the barrier between Equestria and here. Is the barrier getting weaker or the magic getting stronger?" she mused. Sunset Shimmer thought for a moment and looked back to her journal. "Maybe I should ask Twilight Sparkle? I probably won't get any answers here."

Just then, a powerful feeling came over her that took her breath away. Her body started to emit a red glowing aura and she sprouted pony ears and her waist length hair grew even longer. "What? Why now?" she gasped.

Sunset Shimmer pushed herself upright and stumbled to her window. Up in the night sky, a shooting star raced across the sky and disappeared over the horizon. Seconds later a light bloom appeared, followed by a faint _THUMP._

"Whatever that was, it's close by," Sunset Shimmer said with a frown and stole a quick glance at the mirror, noticing she was "Ponied Up." "I wonder if this is related to that meteor," she thought. Sunset Shimmer threw on a pair of shoes and a jacket and headed outside.

As she ran to the impact site, Sunset Shimmer thought about her options. "It's pretty late and the others are probably sleeping. Besides, none of them live very close to me," she thought. "Is this more magic running amok like at camp?"

Before long she was in the woods and climbing the hill. Her current magical state offered increased speed and endurance, so she wasn't breathing heavily. As she drew closer, Sunset Shimmer could feel the ground rumbling. Flashes of light cast creepy and bizarre shadows through the trees and created a disturbing strobing effect. She winced and tried to shield her eyes. Suddenly, there was a loud _POP POP POP_ sound she didn't recognize. Ducking low, Sunset Shimmer made her way to the edge of the trees. What she saw made her gasp.

A large metal creature was shooting explosive energy blasts at a smaller figure, who was doing her best not to be killed. At least, Sunset Shimmer assumed it was a she. The figure displayed feminine curves under heavy robes and armor, but that didn't seem to slow her down. In fact, she seemed to be managing just fine. She aimed her weapon and pulled the trigger. _POP POP POP_ , a short pause, then three more _POPs_. She appeared to be doing not much damage to the metal creature. As if realizing this, she held up her hand and threw a ball of yellow energy. The ball hit the monster and exploded, showering it with bits of white hot material.

Sunset Shimmer was at a loss of what to do. Clearly she was outmatched and she suspected she would only get in the way. Despite the danger, the woman didn't seem too concerned. As if growing tired, the woman threw her arms out and her body exploded in flames. Sunset Shimmer's mouth fell open in shock. There was no magic she knew of that could do such a thing, however it looked similar to the magical aura she was currently displaying.

Sunset Shimmer looked down at her hands and saw her aura was glowing brightly and pulsing in a rhythmic fashion. She then looked back to the flaming woman, who had leapt in the air and was floating over the monster, throwing flaming orbs as fast as she could. _Is my magic reacting to hers?_ Sunset Shimmer thought.

By now, the ground around the monster had turned into a flaming pyre that was melting and burning it alive. The woman swapped her weapon for a different one and fired point-blank at the monster. _BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!_ Sunset Shimmer held her hands over her ears. Her weapons were certainly loud. Finally, with an anguished cry, the metal monster collapsed in a heap of blackened scrap. The fires died out and the woman holstered her weapons.

Through squinting eyes, Sunset Shimmer saw the source of light appeared to be coming from a set of circular rings. _Some kind of portal?_ She thought. The portal then began to fluctuate wildly and the woman ran toward it, only for the light to suddenly die right as she approached.

"Raven! Get it working again!" she hurriedly called out. To Sunset Shimmer's surprise, a small black box-like thing appeared out of thin air. "You really shouldn't have done that," a small digitized voice said.

"I had no choice! That thing was chasing us through the network! The only way I could deal with it was to take the nearest exit and get it out of the network," she explained.

"Well in any case we're stuck here unless I can get this portal working," the floating box called Raven said. "Oh, and we have company."

She quickly turned and raised her weapon in Sunset Shimmer's direction, who let out a surprised "Eep!"

"You! Come out here! Keep your hands where I can see them," she said.

Sunset Shimmer gulped and moved out of the trees with her hands in the air. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed her aura had faded and breathed a quick sigh of relief. _One less thing to worry about._ In the dim light, Sunset Shimmer could make out the robes and armor the strange woman was wearing. Her robes appeared to be wrapped tightly with layers of leather and thick fabric. Her robes reached down to her ankles and her hands and forearms were covered in heavy metal gloves. Her helmet was very ornate and reminded Sunset Shimmer of old knights in armor. The woman was nearly a head taller than Sunset Shimmer and seemed much older. "What are you doing here?" the woman asked sternly.

"Um, I saw a meteor falling from the sky and I came to investigate?" Sunset Shimmer replied hesitantly.

The woman looked her over. "What's your name?"

"Sunset Shimmer," she replied.

This seemed to confuse the woman. "Sunset Shimmer? What kind of name is that?"

"I don't know. What kind of name should I have?" Sunset Shimmer asked.

"I don't know, but that's the kind of name someone would give to a horse or some other type of animal," the woman replied.

"Well…" Sunset Shimmer chuckled nervously.

The woman dropped her weapon slightly and stepped forward to get a better look at Sunset Shimmer. "Your skin has a very odd complexion," she noted. "Why is your hair that color? Are you that starved for attention?"

"Excuse me, but this is my natural hair color," Sunset Shimmer replied with a frown. This woman was being exceptionally rude and it was starting to irritate her. "I've given you my name, now tell me yours," she said.

The woman raised her weapon again. "You don't get to ask questions," she said.

Now Sunset Shimmer was getting mad. "Who do you think you are? What gives you the right to come here and start demanding answers?"

"Shouldn't you be home in bed little girl?" the woman asked.

"It's summer. There's no school," Sunset Shimmer replied through clenched teeth. She took a few breaths to try and calm down. "What was that thing you fought?"

The woman looked back to the charred remains. "That was a Vex Minotaur," she said.

"Minotaur? Like the story about the labyrinth?" Sunset Shimmer asked.

The woman said nothing and kept her weapon pointed at Sunset Shimmer. Neither said anything for several moments. Sunset Shimmer started to get an ache in her shoulders. "Can I put my arms down?" she asked. After a short pause, the woman nodded and Sunset Shimmer sighed as her arms dropped. Despite being summer, the air was quite cool and she hugged herself to keep warm.

"Uh oh," Raven said. The woman quickly turned around. "What?"

"The Vex discovered us and revoked my network access," Raven said. The woman's body tensed and she bit back a curse. "So you can't do anything?" she asked impatiently.

"Not without access to a conflux," Raven said.

Sunset Shimmer watched the exchange with interest. Network Access? Conflux? Apparently these things were important to the strange woman, who had started pacing back and forth. "Scan the area. See if there is a conflux or some other sort of network access point," she said.

"I already have and I haven't been able to find one," Raven replied. The woman's hands began to shake in frustration. Raven then noticed Sunset Shimmer. "Who's this?"

Before Sunset Shimmer could reply, the woman cut in. "An unwanted guest."

"If anyone is an unwanted guest, it's you," Sunset Shimmer shot back. The woman glared at her as she continued. "You show up here, suddenly and unannounced, through your magic portal, fight a giant metal monster, and start making demands!" Sunset Shimmer was practically shouting now. "Now! At least tell me your name. Perhaps I can help."

"What help can you be?" the woman scoffed.

"Unlike you, I actually live in this world," Sunset Shimmer replied and put her hands on her hips. "Clearly you are looking for something and right now, I'm your best bet."

Raven and the woman looked at each other. "She does have a point," Raven said. The woman quickly shook her head and growled. "Fine! You may call me Hildr or Valkyrie, whichever you prefer."

Sunset Shimmer frowned. "Hildr? What kind of name is that?"

"Says the little girl with a horse's name," HIldr shot back. Sunset Shimmer glared at Hildr. "Can you at least take your helmet off?"

"Why? I don't know what dangers lurk out there. And besides, the atmosphere could be poisonous," Hildr replied.

"There's no one around and the atmosphere is fine," Raven sighed.

"Whose side are you on anyway?" Hildr asked, turning on Raven.

"I'm on the side that says we don't have to stand in the forest in the middle of the night," Raven said. Hildr stared at Raven and muttered to herself. Almost reluctantly, she reached up and pulled her helmet off. Sunset Shimmer let out a small gasp. Hildr was indeed older by several years, maybe even older than Principal Celestia. She had pale skin and very sharp features that seemed locked in a permanent scowl. Hildr's hair was shock white and collar length. Part was pushed back behind her ears and tied in a little ponytail. Her eyes were a piercing gray color that seemed to bore holes in Sunset Shimmer's body. She wore bright orange eyeshadow that contrasted with her gray eyes. The overall effect made Hildr seem very intimidating.

At the same time, Sunset Shimmer was very intrigued. If what she claimed was true, Hildr was from a world different than even Equestria! Questions suddenly raced through her mind and before she could open her mouth to speak, Hildr put up a hand to silence her. "Stop. No more questions for now."

"But-" Sunset Shimmer started and Hildr glared at her with the intensity turned to eleven. Sunset Shimmer closed her mouth and shrunk back. "You are right. I am a stranger to this world and momentarily stuck here," Hildr said. Her mouth pressed into a thin line and she scowled, as if she couldn't bring herself to say the next words. "I would appreciate it you could show me a place to stay for now and your discretion in this matter."

Sunset Shimmer managed to nod. "Of-of course. My house isn't far. Please follow me." Sunset Shimmer turned and started walking back down the hill, with Hildr and Raven following behind. "From what I've been able to gather so far, this place is about the same level technology-wise as pre-Golden Age Earth," he said.

"Hmm. That works in our favor," Hildr replied.

"Of course I'll know better once we get to where we're going," Raven said.

Sunset Shimmer glanced behind her. That little floating box thing seemed to have a mind of its own. Was it some sort of advanced computer program? And what magic allowed it to float about like that? Hildr's magic seemed to be so different than her own, but then again, when Hildr activated her aura of flame, her own magic responded. Were they similar but different somehow? Once again, Sunset Shimmer racked her brain trying to figure out how magic worked on this side. Back in Equestria, everything made much more sense. _At least I'll have something to write to Twilight Sparkle,_ Sunset Shimmer thought with a smile.

By the time they had reached the edge of town, Hildr had grown silent and Raven was buzzing about, looking at everything. Hildr was lost in her own thoughts. _The Vex network connects across time and space, but how did we end up here? Is this the result of a different timeline or did we somehow end up in a completely different universe? I thought only Hive portals traveled between dimensions. And it's not like I have resources here to figure that out._ Hildr didn't notice Sunset Shimmer had stopped and she bumped into her. "Why did we stop?" she asked.

"This is my house," Sunset Shimmer replied and went inside. "You didn't lock the door?" Hildr asked in surprise.

"Well, I WAS in a bit of a hurry," Sunset Shimmer replied sheepishly. She turned on the lights and they were now able to get a better look at each other. Hildr was startled to see that Sunset Shimmer's skin color was a light orange color and her hair was brighter red with yellow streaks than she originally thought. She also had very striking aqua colored eyes. "Are you an Awoken?" Hildr asked cautiously.

"A what?" Sunset Shimmer asked, slightly confused. Hildr quickly waved her off. "Never mind. Forget I said anything."

Sunset Shimmer was also able to get a good look at Hildr. Her armor was light tan and white and red accents. It was also a strange mix of old and new. Sunset Shimmer was sure that old knights in armor didn't wear a harness to carry modern weapons. The symbol on her chest was two gauntlets holding a double bladed axe superimposed over a shield. Her shoulders were covered in armor that resembled a knight's helmet. Her boots were knee length white and tan leather with metal knee guards. Strangely enough, she wore a band over her left bicep that looked like it was on fire? It unnerved Sunset Shimmer, but Hildr didn't seem to notice or care.

At this point, Sunset Shimmer yawned. By now, it really was past her bedtime. She looked around and said, "Sorry I don't have much in the way of accommodation, but you can sleep on the couch over there if you want. I'll get you a spare blanket."

Hildr looked around the small space. The house had a rather small floor plan, but had very high ceilings. A set of stairs let to a balcony where Sunset Shimmer's bed was. It all seemed so bare. Hildr gave a short nod. "I've certainly slept in worse conditions."

Sunset Shimmer rolled her eyes and tried to keep her temper in check. She rummaged around and finally found a spare blanket.

"Do you have a computer or some other means of accessing information?" Hilder asked. Sunset Shimmer pointed to her desk. "Computer's right there. Have at it." She handed the blanket to Hildr and yawned again. "I'll see you in the morning." She went up the stairs and changed into her pajamas. Sunset Shimmer lay in bed and listened to Hildr and Raven whisper to each other.

What a turn of events this was. As she closed her eyes, Sunset Shimmer wondered how much things were going to change now. Would more of those robot monsters appear? What other kinds of horrible things might follow Hildr here? Would she and her friends be able to handle something like that? Sunset Shimmer finally drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

"I think she's asleep now," Raven said. Hildr nodded and moved closer to the computer. "Good. One less distraction."

Raven scanned the computer and began interacting with the data port. Images began flashing onscreen as Raven accessed the Internet. "This is all quite fascinating," he said.

"How so?" Hildr asked.

"This world is known as Equestira and we are currently in the city of Canterlot," Raven said. "Like I said earlier, their technology is pretty advanced. But there's something odd."

"What is it?" Hildr asked.

"It's not widely known or accepted, but there is a theory that magic actually exists. There are also rumors of a portal that leads to a dimension with talking animals," Raven said.

Hildr stared at the computer. "Hmph. That is rather interesting." She leaned back in the chair and thought. "I suppose it's not unbelievable that if a Vex portal brought us here, then there would be other portals to different dimensions."

Raven hummed to himself for a bit as he searched. "Oh. This is interesting."

"What now?" Hildr grumbled.

"There are a few articles about our new friend, Sunset Shimmer," Raven said.

"Is she secretly a terrorist or one of these magic users?" Hildr asked.

"Actually, a bit of both," Raven said. "It seems she used a portal to come here from the world of talking animals, also called Equestria by the way, and tried to claim an item known as 'The Element of Magic.' It appears she was successful and partially destroyed a local school. But she was stopped by six other girls possessing 'The Magic of Friendship.' "

"Now that IS interesting," Hildr said, looking up. Sunset Shimmer was sleeping directly over her head. She turned back to the Computer. "Well there is something else I was able to confirm with my fight with the Minotaur," she said.

"You still have your Light?" Raven asked.

Hildr nodded and held up her hand. A swirling ball of bright yellow energy appeared. "Not quite sure how, but I still have my Light. Something to look into later." Hildr stood and stripped out of her armor down to the base layer. "I am going to try and sleep," she said and took the blanket to the couch.

"I'll be here then," Raven sighed. Hildr lay down and closed her eyes. Before long, she was asleep.

* * *

 _Dear Twilight Sparkle,_

 _Sorry I haven't written for a few days. Ever since we got back from summer camp and everything that happened there, things have been, well, a bit boring. But that all changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Sorry. A bit of a joke there and I'm getting side tracked._

 _Like I was saying, things have been pretty quiet recently. I've been doing some research on our powers and how magic works on this side, but the results have been inconclusive. But that's not what I wanted to write about._

 _Last night, a meteor landed on a hill just outside town. Normally this wouldn't be an issue, but the meteor had a strange interaction with my magic and caused me to "pony up." Intrigued, I went to investigate and what I found was beyond my wildest dreams._

 _Where to begin? First, there was a strange glowing portal and a woman wearing medieval armor. She was fighting a large robot monster unlike anything I've ever seen before. Her magic was also very different. Her whole body became covered in flames and she used that fire to defeat the monster. But the strangest part is while she was enveloped in flames, my own magic felt stronger, more powerful. Could that be a side-effect? Who knows? I've never seen magic used like that before._

 _Well one thing led to another, and now I have a strange magic user staying at my house. We haven't really had the chance to talk yet, but I'm not exactly looking forward to it. She comes off as rather…abrasive. I'd say she's the exact opposite of Pinkie Pie, if such a thing were even possible. I'll keep you updated if I learn anything._

 _Your Friend,_

 _Sunset Shimmer_


	2. Hard Knocks

**Note: This story is proving to be a bit difficult. Uploads will probably be infrequent as I try to get everything worked out. It's Christmas Eve here in the US, so Santa Clause is delivering the next chapter. Happy Holidays!**

* * *

The next morning, Sunset Shimmer woke to the sound of her alarm going off. She growled and slapped it several times before finally silencing the alarm. Sunset Shimmer slowly sat up and rubbed her eyes. "Maybe I shouldn't have stayed up so late," she muttered. She yawned and stretched before standing up. Sunset Shimmer made her way down the stairs to the bathroom and stopped. A strange woman with white hair was sitting cross-legged on her floor. Her eyes were closed like she was meditating.

"What the-" Sunset Shimmer muttered. Her brain finally broke through the fog of sleep and yesterday's events came rushing back. Her eyes went wide and she gasped. "That was real?"

"Of course it was," Hildr replied. She squinted her eyes and made a face, displeased that her quiet time was interrupted. She opened her eyes and stared up at Sunset Shimmer. "Sit. I have much to talk about with you."

"Uh, okay," Sunset Shimmer replied hesitantly and sat down across from Hildr. She couldn't believe Hildr could be so overbearing, especially in the morning! This made Sunset Shimmer hate mornings even more.

Hildr stared at Sunset Shimmer until the young girl was filled with trepidation. "Are we going to talk or are you just going to sit there and stare at me?" she asked.

"I don't know. I haven't decided yet," Hildr said. Sunset Shimmer groaned. "Well can I at least get dressed first?" she asked.

"What's wrong with what you are wearing?" Hildr asked.

"If I'm going to be interrogated, I want to be wearing something other than pajamas," Sunset Shimmer said with a frown. "At least give me that courtesy." After a moment, Hildr gave a curt nod of approval. Sighing to herself, Sunset Shimmer rose to her feet and set about getting ready for the day. She went to the bathroom and ran a brush through her hair, straightening out the tangles. Next she changed into clean clothes, shorts and a purple t-shirt with ¾ sleeves. Sunset Shimmer stared at her reflection in the mirror and sighed. "What could possibly go wrong?" she asked herself.

When she came out of the bathroom, Sunset Shimmer noticed Hildr was wearing different clothes, a long sleeve tunic that reached to mid-thigh with black and white leggings, and brown calf length boots. She had moved to the couch and was reading a book. Sunset Shimmer pulled out her chair and sat across from her. Hildr looked up and saw Sunset Shimmer. She closed the book and put it aside before leaning forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "Now. I am going to ask you some questions and I want you to answer honestly," she said.

"Okay?" Sunset Shimmer replied.

Hildr stared intently at Sunset Shimmer. "Is it true that there is another land, also known as Equestria, populated by talking animals, specifically ponies?"

Sunset Shimmer was taken aback. "Wh-where did you hear that from?" she asked.

Hildr nodded in the direction of the computer. "Your computer. Now answer the question."

Sunset Shimmer cleared her throat. "It is theorized that there is indeed a parallel world inhabited by talking animals."

"Now. Is it true that you were originally an inhabitant of this so-called parallel world?" Hildr asked.

Sunset Shimmer fidgeted nervously in her seat. "What difference does it make?" she asked.

"It matters because I want to know what kind of person I am dealing with," Hildr said. "Are you the bratty, arrogant fool who came here looking to build an army with the Element of Magic, or are you the repentant, thoughtful young woman trying to make up for her past mistakes?"

Sunset Shimmer sat up and glared at Hildr. "I admit I have made mistakes in the past. I was wrong to do what I did. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about it. I've done my best to put it behind me and move forward."

Hildr leaned back. "I am impressed. The little girl has some steel after all."

"What are you getting at? What is this even about?" Sunset Shimmer exasperated.

"Watch your tone," HIldr warned. "I still haven't decided if I can trust you or not."

"Who are you to talk to me that way?" Sunset Shimmer replied angrily. She jumped to her feet, knocking her chair back. "You are a stranger in this world and I let you stay in MY house as a courtesy! Show some thanks and have some respect!"

Hildr slowly rose to her feet and stood over Sunset Shimmer. "Watch yourself little girl. I am indeed a stranger to you, and you would be wise not to push your luck."

"Or what?" Sunset Shimmer challenged.

"Okay, okay. Let's dial it back a little, yeah?" Raven appeared and pushed his way in between, separating Hildr and Sunset Shimmer. "She does have a point. We are guests after all."

"I haven't forgotten," Hildr muttered. She sat back down and let out a deep breath. "Please sit and we will continue." Warily, Sunset Shimmer retrieved her chair and sat back down.

"Now then. Is it true that true magic exists in this world?" Hildr asked.

Sunset Shimmer nodded. It was useless to cover up or lie at this point. "Yes. And it's likely my fault when I brought the Element of Magic here."

"I see," Hildr said and stroked her chin. "And why did you do this in the first place?"

Sunset Shimmer shrugged. "It's like you say. I was a bratty and arrogant fool."

Hildr frowned. "From what I was able to find out on your computer, it seems that there weren't any consequences for bringing magic to this world, destroying a school, or causing general mayhem."

"What do you mean?" Sunset Shimmer asked.

"What I mean is, why aren't you in jail? In my experience, people have been locked up for lesser offences," Hildr said.

"I…I don't really know," Sunset Shimmer replied with a frown. "The thought never occurred to me."

Hildr stared at Sunset Shimmer, her mouth slightly agape. "So what did you do? Apologize profusely and they let you go?"

"Pretty much," Sunset Shimmer replied sheepishly. "Although I DID have to fix all the damage I caused."

Hilder shook her head and leaned back. "The rules of this world make little sense to me."

Sunset Shimmer stared down at her hands. "I failed because I didn't truly understand what makes the magic powerful. It may sound corny, but in this world, friendship is the most powerful magic of all."

"The power of friendship?" Hildr asked evenly. Sunset Shimmer nodded. Hildr closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. "What have I gotten myself into?"

"I should ask myself the same question," Sunset Shimmer muttered. She stared at Hildr out of the corner of her eye. "So do I get to ask a question?" she asked. Hildr nodded. "What was that metal monster last night?" Sunset Shimmer asked.

"That was a Vex Minotaur," Hildr replied.

"Why was it after you?" Sunset Shimmer asked.

"The Vex are a race of mechanical beings with the ability to travel through time and space using a network known as the Nexus," Hildr said. "That Minotaur was chasing me because I was using the Nexus to travel back to a previous time."

Sunset Shimmer stared at Hildr. "Time traveling robots? Why?"

"The Vex are using the Nexus and super computers the size of planets to simulate infinite possibilities to reach the most favorable outcome," Hildr said. "The ultimate goal of the Vex is still unknown, but it seems to revolve around incorporating themselves into the fabric of the universe."

Sunset Shimmer sat back. This was all quite overwhelming. She didn't know what to think. "So that bright shiny light was a portal?" she asked.

"Correct," Hildr replied.

"Are there more of those portals?" Sunset Shimmer asked.

"I don't know. I'm not from here remember?" Hidr said. Sunset Shimmer frowned. "Are you always like this?"

"Like what?" Hildr asked.

"Like this?" Sunset Shimmer replied. She gestured at Hildr. "So…abrasive and unlikeable."

"Is that what you think?" Hildr asked. Sunset Shimmer hesitated, then nodded. "You are free to believe what you will. Frankly, I don't care if you like me or not," Hildr said.

This confused Sunset Shimmer. "But don't you have friends where you come from?"

"Not anymore. They are all dead," Hidr replied curtly.

Sunset Shimmer was taken aback. "I'm…I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"Of course you didn't know. You don't know anything about me," Hidr replied.

"GRRRRRRRR!" Sunset Shimmer's face twisted in frustration. "You are the most difficult person I have ever met!"

Hildr cocked her head to the side. "What do you know about the history of this place?"

Sunset Shimmer's anger was replaced with confusion. "Not much I'm afraid. Why?"

"I'm trying to figure out why my Light still works on your world," Hildr said.

"Light? You mean your magic?" Sunset Shimmer asked. Hildr glanced at Sunset Shimmer. "I suppose Light could be mistaken for magic," she said.

Sunset Shimmer thought for a moment. "You weren't able to find anything about the history of Equestria on the internet?"

"Actually, that's what I was doing when you first came down this morning," Raven said. "Since then, I haven't gotten very far since you two started bickering."

"Is there a library I could visit?" Hildr asked.

"Yes, but I don't think that's a good idea," Sunset Shimmer said.

"Why not?" Hildr asked.

Sunset Shimmer looked around. "I don't think that you should be out and about. What happens if we run into one of my friends and they start asking questions?"

"That's not my problem," Hidr replied.

Sunset Shimmer glared at Hildr. "So what then, you want me to just tell them the truth?"

"That's up to you," Hildr said. "Look at it this way. The quicker I find what I'm looking for, the faster I can leave and you can go back to your daily life. Isn't that the best solution for both of us?"

Sunset Shimmer scowled and rubbed her head vigorously. "Are you intentionally trying to make my life difficult?"

Hildr cocked her head to the side. "I fail to see how my actions will have such a negative impact on you. If this will be such a problem for you, perhaps I should find some other arrangement."

Sunset Shimmer looked up and stared at Hildr. "Really? Where will you go? What will you do?"

Hildr shrugged. "Apparently, anywhere away from you would be suitable. Like I said before, I've stayed in worse places than this."

Sunset Shimmer wanted to pull her hair out. _What is with this woman?_ She took a few calming breaths and said, "I'm sure we can work something out. It's better than having you be homeless during the time you are here."

Hildr rose to her feet. "If you insist. Now, please show me the way to the library."

Sunset Shimmer rolled her eyes and led Hildr out the door after putting on her boots. During the walk to the library, Sunset Shimmer kept looking around, hoping she didn't run into any of her friends. _Because that's exactly what I need right now,_ she thought sarcastically.

Hildr looked around and took note of her surroundings. Something about this place just felt…off…to her for some reason. She had a nagging feeling in the back of her mind that something was just different. The people she met on the way seemed nice enough and the streets and sidewalks were clean. There wasn't much vehicle traffic, but Hidr wasn't sure if that was just because of their current location in town. "How much farther?" she asked.

"Not far, just a few more blocks," Sunset Shimmer replied. So far so good. Everyone else must be working at their part time jobs. The only real worry was Twilight Sparkle. She would be the mostly likely person they would run into at the library and the absolute LAST person Sunset Shimmer wanted to encounter right now. She felt a twinge of guilt for actively wanting to avoid her friends, but the less they knew right now, the better.

Before long, they came across a large brick building that resembled a castle. "This is the Library," Sunset Shimmer said.

Hildr looked up at the building. "Hmm. I've seen buildings like this before, but never in this condition."

"Better?" Sunset Shimmer asked.

"Worse," Hildr replied. "Usually in ruins and scavenged for anything useful long ago."

Sunset Shimmer gasped. "What's it like where you come from?" she asked cautiously.

"Not anywhere near as nice as this," Hildr replied and walked up the stairs. Sunset Shimmer could only stare. _What does that mean? Just what kinds of terrible things have happened to her?_

Hildr walked inside and looked around. The outside made the library seem deceptively small. She was pleased to find the library housed a large collection. In the center near the help desk was computer stations. Still being morning, the library wasn't very busy. "This certainly puts the Tower library to shame doesn't it," she muttered to herself.

"Let's not spend too much time here," Raven said. "The longer we're here, the greater chance we'll be discovered by one of Sunset Shimmer's friends."

Hildr waved him off. "Not my concern. Shouldn't YOU be worried about attracting too much attention?" With a sigh, Raven disappeared.

Hildr found the Reference section and started looking for history books. Once she had accumulated a sizeable stack, she sat down and started reading.

Meanwhile, Sunset Shimmer poked her head inside and nervously looked around. Seeing no one she recognized, she relaxed a bit and entered. She sat down at a computer and put her head in her hand. "Why is she so interested in the history of this place?" Sunset Shimmer started idly searching the library database. While she clicked through the pages, her mind started to wander. "Wouldn't it make more sense to just go back through the portal she came in?" She tapped her chin. "But that little floating box did say they lost access, whatever that means."

To Sunset Shimmer's surprise, she started to wonder about Hildr. Who was she really? What had happened to cause her to undertake such a dangerous journey? What was her world like? Did she come from the future, or some kind of alternate past? What was the deal with her armor? What weapons did she use to defeat that Vex monster? And more importantly, what was the secret behind Hildr's magic? She called it "Light," but Sunset Shimmer had never heard of such a thing. It certainly seemed powerful, with the way she fought that, what was it again? Vex Minotaur? Speaking of which, what other kinds of enemies did Hildr have? Were they all just as menacing as the Vex?

Sunset Shimmer sighed. She actually enjoyed studying and learning, but history was her least favorite subject. Sure there was that saying about repeating history if you failed to learn from it, but Sunset Shimmer was more the type to accept the past and keep looking forward. What happened, happened and there was no going back to change it. One of the things she learned was to stand up, dust yourself off, take your licks and continue forward. Sunset Shimmer had an odd feeling that Hildr might be similar to herself in that respect. But if that were so, what was she trying to achieve by hijacking the Vex network?

After some half-hearted searching, Sunset Shimmer came across an article discussing the founding of the city of Canterlot. It seemed the city was founded more than one hundred years ago by three families that agreed to work together during an incredibly hard year, a summer drought followed by an equally harsh winter. Due to the trees in the surrounding hills, Canterlot quickly grew into a lumber town. As the town expanded, the economy became more diverse. Lumber was still a big part of Canterlot, but was followed closely by a movie studio and several research and development firms. It was all quite interesting, but nothing to suggest that Hildr might find what she was looking for.

"Well that's it for Canterlot itself, but where did those three families come from?" Sunset Shimmer wondered. Before she could answer that question, a reflection in the computer screen caught her eye. She turned around and saw Hildr walking through the bookshelves. Curious, Sunset Shimmer got up to follow.

Hildr walked back to her little corner and found Raven scanning a new book. "Find anything yet?"

"Oh all kinds of things, just not necessarily anything you want to know," Raven replied.

Hildr sighed and sat back down. "This isn't getting us anywhere."

Sunset Shimmer poked her head around the book stack. "Need a study partner?" Hildr looked up and stared. "It can't hurt I guess," she said. Feeling slightly miffed, Sunset Shimmer sat across from Hildr and pulled out a book. "What exactly are you looking for?" she asked, flipping pages.

"Ideally something that says 'Vex conflux here!'" Raven said. Startled, Sunset Shimmer stared at Raven. "Just what are you anyway?"

"I am a Ghost," Raven said.

Sunset Shimmer suppressed a shiver. "Like, a dead person?"

Raven chuckled. "No, nothing like that. The actual story would take too long to tell, and quite frankly doesn't really matter. Just know that I won't hurt you in any way and will be quite helpful."

"If you say so," Sunset Shimmer said. "So what exactly is a Vex conflux?"

"Think of it as an access point for the Vex network," Raven said. "I can use that to trick the network into activating a portal and letting us inside."

"And this Vex network thing, that's what you are using to travel through time? How does that work? Why are you even doing it?" Sunset Shimmer asked.

Raven was about to reply when Hildr cut him off. "What's with all the questions? You wanted to help, so help."

Sunset Shimmer glared at Hildr. "I would help if I knew what I was looking for."

Hildr glared back. "Like Raven said, look for any mention of strange portals or white glowing trees. Confluxes manifest themselves in the form of data lines that resemble glowing trees. And portals are like the one you saw the other night."

"See? Was that so hard?" Sunset Shimmer retorted.

"I didn't think I would have to explain everything to a smart girl such as yourself," Hildr replied.

Sunset Shimmer slammed her fists on the table. "If you didn't say anything, how would I know what to look for?"

"Like you are so fond of pointing out, you're from here. You should know what seems out of place," Hildr replied.

Sunset Shimmer snarled and angrily grabbed her book.

Raven suddenly looked up. "Hildr, we need to go!"

Hildr jumped to her feet. "What's wrong?"

Raven quickly turned to Hildr. "The Vex portal is active!"

Hildr quickly ran through the library and out the door, Raven following close behind. Sunset Shimmer stared with her mouth open. She quickly snapped out of it and decided to follow. _I don't know if I can be any help._

Hildr raced through town, retracing her steps to Sunset Shimmer's house and on to the woods. As she entered the tree line, Raven manifested her armor and weapons. By the time she reached the portal, Hildr was in full combat gear and ready to go. "What indications do you have?" she asked.

"All I'm getting right now is the portal is active and something is starting to come through," Raven said. Sure enough, Vex Goblins started to appear. They seemed so out of place in this world, cold mechanical beings in a place that had nothing else like them. The Goblins took note of Hildr and opened fire. Hildr ducked behind a tree for cover. "Our first priority is to disable the portal so no more Vex show up," Raven said.

"But we need that portal!" Hildr shouted. She peeked out and sent a couple of controlled bursts into the glowing center of a Goblin. It exploded and fell apart with a gush of milky white fluid.

"We can always fix it later," Raven said. "Right now we need to stop the Vex from coming through!"

Hildr growled and tossed a flaming orb into the group of Goblins. They immediately started to burn and melt apart. The portal flashed again and more Goblins and a Minotaur appeared. Hildr readied her pulse rifle and started shooting.

Sunset Shimmer was breathing heavily by the time she reached the top of the hill. She couldn't believe how quickly Hildr could move. She leaned on a tree and tried to catch her breath. An errant bolt of energy whizzed past Sunset Shimmer's head and she ducked. She peeked around the tree and saw Hildr fighting more Vex robots. Despite being outnumbered, she didn't appear to need any help.

 _What are you doing?_ Sunset Shimmer asked herself. _What made you think you could help? What makes you think she NEEDS any help? At best you'll just get in the way._ As she was starting to feel down, Sunset Shimmer slapped her cheeks. _Let's go girl! You're not completely helpless._ She looked around and saw a large rock, just out of reach. If she did nothing, none of the Vex would notice her and she would stay relatively safe. But if she stuck her neck out, the Vex would surely find her and try and kill her. That thought sent a chill down her spine. Despite everything she and her friends had been through, never once did Sunset Shimmer feel they were in any real danger. But this was different. One misstep and she really might die. Her mouth went dry and her heart started to race. Was this what she wanted? Just then, Hildr let out a shout and Sunset Shimmer made up her mind. She reached out to the rock and closed her eyes to focus.

Equestrian magic worked differently in this world, but with the way her magic had evolved since camp, Sunset Shimmer was certain that some of her old abilities could work. She touched the magic potential deep inside her and focused its energy in her hands. Opening her eyes, Sunset Shimmer stared at the rock and willed it to move. Sweat beaded on her brow as she concentrated. A red aura appeared around her hands as she thought about moving the rock. She imagined the magic as an extension of her hand and reached out to grab the rock. The red aura appeared around the rock and the rock lifted into the air. Sunset Shimmer grinned at her success and imagined throwing the rock as hard as she could. The rock flew forward and clanged against the Minotaur. Now alerted, it turned in Sunset Shimmer's direction.

Hildr saw a large rock fly out of nowhere and hit the Minotaur. She wanted scream in frustration. How could that girl be so stupid? Hildr swapped her pulse rifle for her shotgun and ran in close to the Vex Goblins and swiftly killed them all.

The Minotaur stalked toward Sunset Shimmer's position. It focused on her tree and stopped. Sunset Shimmer snuck around behind the Minotaur and blasted it with as much energy as she could muster. As the Minotaur quickly turned around, Sunset Shimmer ducked under its arm and hid behind another tree. Gasping for breath, Sunset Shimmer tried to remember what Hildr had told her about the Vex and what she had done to kill them. The glowing white spot on its chest seemed like a good place to start.

Sunset Shimmer peeked again and levitated another large rock. When the Minotaur turned back her direction, she launched the rock at its midsection. Her plan was good, but she didn't count on the purple energy field deflecting the blow. The Minotaur lowered its weapon and launched a series of energy projectiles in Sunset Shimmer's direction.

Sunset Shimmer's eyes went wide. The Minotaur was too close and there was nothing she could do. She threw up her arms to protect her face and ducked behind the tree. The energy projectiles exploded the tree, turning it into deadly splinters. Sunset Shimmer cried out as chunks of wood imbedded themselves in her arms and legs. The blast knocked her back and she hid her head against a bolder.

Hildr let out a roar as the Minotaur stomped toward Sunset Shimmer. She cocked her arm and threw a ball of fiery energy at the Minotaur. The grenade exploded and became a small sun, burning and eating away at the Minotaur's shields. Hildr discarded her current weapon and reached for her sword. She slid the remaining distance and brought her sword up just in time to block the Minotaur from crushing Sunset Shimmer.

Grunting with effort, Hildr rose to her feet and pushed the Minotaur back. Hildr held the sword in a guard position and activated her Radiance. Her body was bathed in light and wings of fire sprouted from her back and she began throwing orbs of fire at the Minotaur as fast as she could. Hildr's sword became sheathed in fire and she started swinging at the Minotaur with powerful strikes.

Groggily, Sunset Shimmer opened her eyes. Everything ached, but there was a constant throbbing pain. Her eyes focused on a bright and shining figure, fighting the Minotaur. _So powerful, so amazing,_ she thought. She looked down at herself and saw her magical aura surrounding her body. A sharp pain stabbed her in the side as she tried to sit up.

The Minotaur tripped and fell back and Hildr instantly jumped on it. She raised her sword high and plunged it right in the Minotaur's midsection, piercing the container of white fluid. The Minotaur twitched and became still. Hildr pulled her sword free and sighed. She looked back to Sunset Shimmer and saw she had sprouted pony ears on top of her head and her hair had grown longer. A weak red aura surrounded her body.

Hildr sheathed her sword and ran to Sunset Shimmer's side. "Raven! Get my med kit!" she shouted.

"Done," Raven replied and a cloth satchel appeared at Hildr's side. Hildr tore the bag open and quickly asked, "How much longer will my Radiance last?"

"Only for a few more moments," Raven replied. Hildr put her face next to Sunset Shimmer's. "This is going to hurt very badly very soon," she warned. Sunset Shimmer weakly nodded her head. Hildr gave Sunset Shimmer a quick look over. She was bleeding profusely, but most of the wounds were shallow. "Raven, give me a body scan," Hildr said as she started pulling out some of the bigger splinters. Sunset Shimmer winced with each one.

The flames surrounding Hildr's body finally extinguished and Sunset Shimmer cried out as the pain quickly increased. Without Hildr's aura to bolster her own magic, Sunset Shimmer's aura sputtered out and she felt the full extent of her injuries. "Scans are complete. Multiple puncture wounds and contusions, none are life threatening. Also suffering from moderate head trauma."

Hildr put her hands on Sunset Shimmer's head and gently felt around. Her fingers came away bloody from the back of her head. "I think I found the source of the head trauma," she said and pulled out a cap-looking device and fitted it to Sunset Shimmer's head. Hildr then pulled out cloth and disinfectant and began cleaning Sunset Shimmer's wounds. "Raven, keep scanning her head. I'm worried about bleeding or swelling," she said.

After she had bandaged the worst of Sunset Shimmer's injuries, Hildr put her finger in front of Sunset Shimmer's face. "Can you hear me? Do you understand what I am saying?" she asked.

"Y-yeah," Sunset Shimmer replied shakily.

"Good. Tell me your name and where you are from," Hildr said.

"My name?" Sunset Shimmer asked with a frown. "You know what it is,"

"I need you to tell me," Hildr insisted.

"Sunset Shimmer," she replied.

"Where are you from?" Hildr repeated.

"Canterlot in Equestria," Sunset Shimer replied.

"This Equestria or the other one?" Hildr asked.

"Other Equestria?" Sunset Shimmer asked.

"The one with ponies," Hildr replied forcefully.

"Yes. I am from Equestria with ponies. I used to be a pony but I came here," Sunset Shimmer said.

"Good. Now follow my finger with your eyes, do not turn your head," Hildr instructed and Sunset Shimmer's eyes followed Hildr's finger up, down, left right, around in a circle, back and forth.

"I'm seeing no sign of significant head injury," Raven said. "A moderate concussion at most."

Hildr sat back on her heels. "The wound on her head might require stitches. Let's keep an eye on her for the rest of the day to make sure the symptoms don't worsen." She reached into her bag again and pulled out a bottle of water and pills. She handed both to Sunset Shimmer. "Take two pills and drink the water," she instructed.

Sunset Shimmer did so and made a face as she swallowed the pills. "What were those for?"

"Reducing the pain and swelling," Hildr said. She blew out a breath and put her supplies back in her satchel. Raven put the bag back in storage as Hildr rose to her feet. "Now is not the time to say the things I want to say. For now, I will take you back to your house and keep you under observation."

Sunset Shimmer nodded and sighed dejectedly. She winced in pain as Hildr helped her to her feet. Sudden dizziness came over her and she felt the urge to vomit. "I think I'm going to be sick."

"Definitely concussed," Hildr said.

The wave of nausea passed and Sunset Shimmer let out a shaky breath. "How are we going to get to my house? I don't think I can make it down the hill in one piece."

"First things first though," Hildr said. She left Sunset Shimmer's side and approached the portal. "Raven, give me something big."

"Coming right up," Raven said and a rocket launcher appeared in Hildr's arms. She took aim and blasted the portal with rockets until it was a smoking mess.

"Um, didn't you need that?" Sunset Shimmer asked.

"Yes, but this is the only way to make sure the Vex don't come back using this portal," Hildr replied. The rocket launcher disappeared back into her storage and she picked up all her weapons. "And to answer your other question, we're going to have to use my Sparrow."

"Your what now?" Sunset Shimmer asked. Rather than answer, Hildr nodded to Raven and her Sparrow materialized.

Sunset Shimmer didn't know what to think. It looked like a motorcycle, but it had no wheels and looked to be floating in the air. Two control vanes extended out of the front. "How is it floating?" she asked.

"Questions later. Home and rest now," Hildr said and mounted her Sparrow. She looked to Sunset Shimmer and patted the seat behind her. "Get on and hold tight."

Sunset Shimmer sat gingerly behind Hildr and held on to her belt. Hildr sighed and pulled Sunset Shimmer's arms around her waist. "Don't be shy. Wouldn't want you to fall off and bump your head, now."

Sunset Simmer was too tired and too hurt to laugh or make a comment at the joke. Hildr maneuvered the Sparrow through the trees and set off down the hill. The journey passed quickly and Hildr took great pains to make sure they weren't seen on the way to Sunset Shimmer's house. Hildr helped Sunset Shimmer inside and put her on the couch. Hildr pulled off her helmet and replaced her armor with the tunic she was wearing earlier. Sunset Shimmer could only stare. "Why did you help me?" she asked.

Hildr glared at Sunset Shimmer. "I could ask you the same question."

"You first," Sunset Shimmer said. Hildr frowned and snorted. "Fine. I am a Medic and you are a little girl who has no idea what she's dealing with. Based on that, how would it look if you died under mysterious circumstances?"

Sunset Shimmer was too tired to argue. "Fine." She thought back to the battle and remembered how Hildr fought the Minotaur, bathed in light and wielding a flaming sword. She also remembered being in awe of such a spectacle. "How are you so cool and so unlikeable at the same time?" she muttered.

Hildr shook Sunset Shimmer on the shoulder. "Hey. Try and stay awake a little while longer."

"Why?" Sunset Shimmer yawned.

"You have a concussion and I need to monitor your symptoms to make sure they don't get worse," Hildr said. She refilled the water bottle and handed it to Sunset Shimmer. "Now then, why did you come after me?"

Sunset Shimmer took a long pull on the water. "To be honest, I wasn't sure if you would even need my help."

"I didn't," Hidlr replied curtly.

Sunset Shimmer sighed and tried to tamp down her rising anger. "Even so, better to have help and not need it than need help and not have it."

"That is a rather weak argument," Hildr said. She leaned over and took Sunset Shimmer's face in her hands and inspected her eyes. "If you had stayed at the library, you wouldn't have gotten hurt."

"I'm tougher than you think," Sunset Shimmer replied.

"Clearly," Hildr replied. She stood up and looked Sunset Shimmer over. "I suppose you have your magic to thank that you injuries aren't worse."

"I still feel like I was run over by a bus," Sunset Shimmer groaned.

"If it makes you feel better, you look like you were," Hildr replied.

"It doesn't," Sunset Shimmer said with a glare. She watched as Hildr moved about her house. "So what is your Light exactly?" she asked.

"Not now. You need to rest," Hildr said. Sunset Shimmer rolled her eyes. "Well if I can't sleep and you don't want to talk, can you hand me a book to read?" Hildr looked at the bookshelf. "Anything in particular?" she asked.

Sunset Shimmer shrugged. "Whatever strikes your fancy." Hildr looked at the titles and pulled one off the shelf. She handed it to Sunset Shimmer and sat across from her. "If you start to have any new or worsening pain, let me know immediately."

"Why?" Sunset Shimmer asked.

"That could be a sign there is something else wrong with you or your injuries are getting worse," Hildr said.

Sunset Shimmer looked down at her bandages. "You did a very good job fixing me up."

"I've had lots of practice," Hildr replied indifferently. Sunset Shimmer sighed and read her book. Several hours later, Hildr looked her over again and Raven performed another full body scan. Convinced she wasn't going to get worse, Hildr gave Sunset Shimmer more pills and allowed her to lie down. Sunset Shimmer gratefully collapsed into her bed and fell asleep.

* * *

 _Dear Princess Twilight,_

 _Forget everything I said about being bored. Right now I WISH I could go back that. So much has happened in such a short time. I apologize if my handwriting is difficult to read, but I suffered some injuries yesterday. Nothing too threatening, but it made me realize all the same that Canterlot can act like a bubble that insulates us from the outside world. Until I came here, not much happened. I guess you could say that I'm to blame for all the excitement._

 _But enough about that. My guest Hildr continues to confuse and infuriate me. Sometimes I wonder if she does it on purpose. I know I'm still working on this friendship thing, and I'm doing my best, but sometimes she makes me want to pull my hair out!_

 _We had an incident yesterday, and it's the reason I'm a bit banged up. I suppose it is my own fault for getting hurt. More of those Vex machines showed up and Hildr put a stop to them. I thought I could use my magic to help, but I found out I have a lot to learn about using magic offensively._

 _Hildr saved my life. That's the easiest way to put it. The big Vex called a Minotaur knocked me down and hurt me real bad. It was going to kill me. No doubt about it. There is no reasoning with these machines. They have no emotion and follow one logic. Instead, I am able to sit here and write in this journal._

 _I wish you could have seen it. Hildr swooped in, wielding a sword and stopped the Minotaur from hurting me further. Then she used her strange magic and her body became enveloped in golden light and great wings of fire sprouted from her back. I have seen this twice and I am in awe every time. She literally flew through the air and pushed the Minotaur back. The humans here have legends of winged female warriors with wings called Valkyries and that's what she reminded me of, a Valkyrie flying over the battlefield._

 _Not only did Hildr defeat the Vex, she patched me up. It seems she's a medic of sorts where she came from. She certainly knows her stuff. I'm a bit sore, but I'll live. Might have a scar or two and an interesting story._

 _Other than the excitement, there's not much else to tell. I admit I've been avoiding my friends for obvious reasons. I don't know what I've been drug into, but I don't want to see them get hurt. I get the feeling that won't matter though. If anything else happens, I'll let you know._

 _Your Friend,_

 _Sunset Shimmer_


	3. A Whole New World

**Hello everyone. It's the New Year. Yay. Hope your holidays are great. I currently have a surplus of chapters, so have a new one.**

* * *

Sunset Shimmer awoke, not to the sound of her alarm clock, but to an impatient knocking on her door. She sighed and sat up, wincing as she did so. Her hand touched the bandage on her head and the previous day's events came back to her. The pounding on the door was only matched by the pounding in her head. Sunset Shimmer looked to her night stand and found the water and pills Hildr had left for her. She popped some pills, downed them with water and trudged down her stairs. "Okay! I'm coming already!" she called out and opened the door.

Her fears were confirmed as six teenage girls crowded her door frame. When they saw her, all let out a collective gasp. "Darling! What happened to you?" Rarity asked.

Sunset Shimmer rolled her eyes and sighed. Fortunately, she had thought up a somewhat convincing lie. "Well ever since we got back from camp, I've been experimenting with my powers."

Applejack pushed her hat up on her head with one finger. "And what happened? You try to blow yourself to smithereens?"

"Not on purpose," Sunset Shimmer said. "I lost my focus and accidently exploded a tree."

"We should get you to the hospital right away! There's no telling how bad your injuries are if you don't get checked out," Twilight Sparkle spoke up. Sunset Shimmer cast a knowing look at the purple haired girl. Although she shared the same name, this was NOT the Twilight Sparkle that Sunset Shimmer wrote to in her journal. By some strange means, ponies in Equestria had human counterparts in this world. Sunset Shimmer's mind still boggled at the thought. Since she herself had originally come from pony Equestria, Sunset Shimmer had yet to encounter her human self. A small part of her wasn't sure she wanted to. The humans here shared many personality traits with their pony selves, and Sunset Shimmer could only imagine what the other 'her' would be like.

"I'm fine, really," Sunset Shimmer tried to assure her friends. "I just bumped my head a little and none of my cuts and bruises are serious."

"Are you sure?" Fluttershy asked quietly. "I mean, you're not a doctor right? It wouldn't hurt just to have a checkup." She fidgeted nervously with her hands.

Sunset Shimmer groaned. And to think that she had bullied and harassed these girls mercilessly when she first came here. Sometimes it astounded her how they could just forgive and accept her. Sunset Shimmer was truly grateful, but a small part of her wondered if she could ever be truly forgiven.

Soon the girls were all talking over each other and Sunset Shimmer's dull headache had grown into a stabbing pain. "All right! All right!" she shouted over the din. "Let me get changed first. I doubt the doctor will want to see me in my pajamas." She went to shut the door, but Rainbow Dash pushed her way inside, followed by the others. "No, please come in. My house is only a mess," Sunset Shimmer deadpanned.

"Wow! This is the first time I've ever been to your house," Rainbow Dash said. She and Pinkie Pie were exploring every nook and cranny.

"Yeah! You can definitely tell you live here," Pinkie added, holding up Sunset Shimmer's leather jacket.

Sunset Shimmer would have smacked herself on the forehead, but her headache was bad enough and she didn't feel like making it worse. As she was changing, a sudden thought made Sunset Shimmer start to panic: _Where was Hildr?_ "Um, guys? Did you see anyone on your way here?" she asked cautiously.

"I don't think so," Twilight Sparkle spoke up.

"Why? Are shady folks giving you some trouble?" Rainbow Dash asked, making a fist. "Want me to take care of it for ya?"

"No Dash, I don't want you to take care of my problems for me. But thanks for asking," Sunset Shimmer said. She finished changing and went back downstairs. Before she knew what was happening, her friends practically carried her out the door and down the street.

"Wait! Stop! Put me down!" Sunset Shimmer insisted.

"Uh-uh. You're not runnin' out on us like this," Applejack said. "Not until you get a clean bill of health from the doc."

"I appreciate your concern, really I do. But I'm fine. There's nothing to worry about," Sunset Shimmer said.

Pinkie Pie popped up right in her face. "But we're friends now SunShim! Friends look out for each other."

Sunset Shimmer could only smile sheepishly. Unfortunately, there was no getting out of this one. While her friends took her to see the doctor, Sunset Shimmer's mind worked overtime trying to figure out what happened to Hildr. _It is a bit late in the day. She probably just went back to the library or maybe out for sightseeing._

"Oh by the way, I was at the library this morning and I encountered a strange woman," Twilight Sparkle spoke up. Sunset Shimmer broke out in a cold sweat. "Like normal strange, or weird magic strange?" Applejack asked.

Twilight Sparkle frowned. "I'm not really sure. Her clothes were odd, like she's not from around here. But she had this aura around her that gave me the chills."

"Really? What was she wearing? And be specific darling," Rarity spoke up, her face suddenly shining brightly. Sunset Shimmer had to admire the girl's dedication to fashion.

Twilight put her finger to her chin as she thought. "She was wearing a tan colored tunic I guess with black and white pants." Rarity's face fell a little. "Oh. Is that all? I was hoping for something with a little more flair. Coco Pommel has a new line coming out soon, but what can I hope for in a place such as this?" She sighed and gave a small shrug.

Sunset Shimmer was now smiling nervously. _That definitely sounds like Hildr._ "Was there anything else about this person you noticed?" she asked.

"Now that you mention it, she did have a stack of history books," Twilight Sparkle said. "And she kept talking to this little black box looking thing. Might have been some kind of voice recorder?"

 _Among other things,_ Sunset Shimmer thought. "Was that all?"

"Yep. I don't think she's a bad person, just someone we've never seen here before," Twilight Sparkle said.

Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Don't get me wrong, Canterlot City's great, but I just don't see why anyone would want to come and visit this place."

"I totally agree with you," Rarity said. "I suppose one's home town will hold a certain amount of charm, but in order to really see things, you have to go to the big city. Such as Manehattan!" Rarity held her hands and made smiled broadly. "I absolutely love it there! I mean, who wouldn't? Manehattan is the center of the fashion industry and all the leading brands have headquarters there."

Applejack gave her a sideways glance. "Once or twice a year to visit family is good enough for me."

Fluttershy was gently stroking a bird that had landed on her finger. "Oh I don't know. The city sure is a big and scary place."

Rarity made a face and groaned. "You all have no ambition! One day, I'll open a boutique right off Bridleway. People will come from all over to shop at my store! It will be fantastic!"

Sunset Shimmer tuned out the conversation. Rarity did have a point. There wasn't really anything special about Canterlot City, other than the fact that the statue in front of the high school contains a magic portal to another world. But after meeting Hildr and the Vex, maybe something has been hiding under their noses all along. Some kind of dark and terrible secret.

The girls finally arrived at the clinic and went inside. Fortunately they weren't terribly busy and Sunset Shimmer didn't have to wait long. The nurse took her back to the examination room, checked her vitals and asked her a few basic questions. Moments later, the doctor walked in. "So. It says here you had a bit of an accident?" he asked.

"Yeah that's right," Sunset Shimmer said. "I was out hiking in the woods when a tree fell over. I guess it was old and rotten enough it just collapsed."

The doctor gave her a skeptical look, like he didn't quite believe her. "And when did this happen?"

"Yesterday evening some time," Sunset Shimmer replied vaguely.

"I see," the doctor replied. He pulled out a small flashlight and shined it in her eyes. "Any dizziness, blurred vision, headaches, things like that?" he asked.

"A little bit, but some pills and sleep seemed to help," Sunset Shimmer said. The doctor nodded to himself and pulled the bandage off Sunset Shimmer's head. He moved behind her and felt her skull. "You've got a pretty big bump and a nice cut here, but I don't think it will require stitches." He then removed the bandages off Sunset Shimmer's arms and inspected the wounds. "Did you do this yourself?" he asked.

"Uh, yes?" Sunset Shimmer replied and put on her best smile. Somehow, she didn't think the doctor would buy it.

"Hmm," the doctor muttered to himself. "If that's the case, you did a pretty good job." He stood back and looked her over. "There's really not much more I can do for you," he said with a shrug. "I'll prescribe something slightly stronger than regular aspirin for your aches and pains. Remember to drink lots of fluids and plenty of rest. Come back if anything changes."

"Thanks doc," Sunset Shimmer replied. "I really only came because my friends were worried about me."

The doctor nodded. "Well count yourself lucky. Not everyone has people to look out for them."

"Right," Sunset Shimmer replied and looked away. She went back out to the lobby to rejoin her friends.

"Well? What did the doctor say?" Twilight Sparkle asked.

"He said I'm a paragon of perfect health," Sunset Shimmer said.

"Well that's good," Fluttershy said. "I'm glad you're okay. I'd hate to think that something terrible happened to you."

 _If only you knew,_ Sunset Shimmer thought.

"So girls! What are we going to do today?" Rainbow Dash asked excitedly.

"I dunno about you, but I think takin' it easy for a while sounds pretty good," Applejack said. "We've had enough excitement for a while, between camp, the Friendship Games, and all that other stuff."

"Pshh, that was nothing," Rainbow Dash said.

Sunset Shimmer thought for a moment. "That reminds me. Why did you all show up at my house this morning?"

"I sent out a text wanting to know if anyone wanted to hang out and when no one heard from you, we figured you were still sleeping or busy," Rainbow Dash said.

"Usually you reply right away, but when you didn't I thought something might have happened to you," Fluttershy said timidly.

"Nah, you're just over reacting," Rainbow Dash said. "What could possibly happen to us? We're awesome! More like I'm awesome and you guys are pretty cool."

"Rainbow Dash does have a point," Rarity spoke up. "We've certainly managed to handle everything we've encountered thanks to our magic."

Sunset Shimmer's face fell and she rubbed her arms. "But if it weren't for me, you wouldn't have magic in the first place," she mumbled. She shook her head and pushed those thoughts aside. "In any case, I agree with Applejack. Summer vacation is almost over and we should relax while we can. I think I'm going to head home for a while. Call me if anything comes up." She waved goodbye and left.

Sunset Shimmer walked in her house and found Hildr sitting on the couch, reading a book. The white haired woman looked up and saw Sunset Shimmer taking off her boots and jacket. "Your friends seem nice," she said.

"Where were you?" Sunset Shimmer asked. She pulled out her chair and sat facing Hildr.

"I went back to the library this morning while you were sleeping. On my way back, I saw you and your friends walking off somewhere," Hildr said.

"Yeah. They insisted I go see the doctor for my injuries," Sunset Shimmer replied.

"And what did the doctor say?" Hilder asked.

"He said he couldn't have done a better job himself," Sunset Shimmer admitted.

Hildr shrugged. "I told you. I know what I'm doing."

Sunset Shimmer rolled her eyes. "Just where did you learn how to do that?" she asked.

"Do what?" Hildr asked. She put her book aside and focused her attention on Sunset Shimmer.

"How to be a medic," Sunset Shimmer asked. "And how you use your magic to defeat those robots?"

Hildr held up a hand. "One thing at a time, but there is no easy answer to either of those questions. Which would you like to hear about first?"

"Your magic," Sunset Shimmer quickly replied. "What is it? How does it work? How did you discover it? Is your world so terrible that you have to use such destructive power?"

HIldr's eyes narrowed. "Stop. One thing at a time."

Sunset Shimmer let out a frustrated breath. "Okay. Fine. Where are you from?"

"Earth," HIldr replied.

"Earth? Where's that?" Sunset Shimmer asked.

"From here? I couldn't tell you," Hildr said. "I would need access to star charts." She frowned and thought for a minute. "Actually, that is a very good question." She held out her hand and Raven appeared. "Do I have a ship in my inventory?" she asked.

"Actually yes, now that you mention it," Raven said.

"So what's preventing me from using my ship and leaving this planet?" Hildr asked.

"Um, nothing really," Raven said. "We could leave, but like you say, I have no idea when or where in the galaxy we are."

"Do you think a quick space flight would provide some answers to those questions?" Hildr asked. Raven bobbed up and down. "It certainly wouldn't hurt."

Hildr rose to her feet and made for the door. "Wait! Where are you going?" Sunset Shimmer asked.

"You heard him. I'm going to space," Hildr said.

"But how? What about us here?" Sunset Shimmer asked.

Hildr turned to face Sunset Shimmer. "Why are you even asking those questions? I thought it would be obvious. I'm not from here and I have no idea where I am. My coming here was a simple accident, and it would be best for everyone if I left."

"But what about those Vex monsters? What if there are more of them?" Sunset Shimmer asked.

"She does have a point," Raven said. "We found one portal. Who's to say there aren't more?"

"And how many others have we found just though reading history books?" Hildr countered. "There is nothing to suggest that the Vex ever had a presence here."

"Then where did that portal come from?" Raven countered. "If there is a portal here, the Vex had some kind of plan for this place. I'm okay with taking a quick jaunt to space to get our bearings and figure out the astronavigation aspect, but we should really come back." He floated closer to Hildr's face. "Besides, have you forgotten why you were using the Vex portal network in the first place?"

Hildr glared at Raven. "I haven't forgotten. But it would be better to continue our search elsewhere, on a different planet." She looked at Sunset Shimmer and added, "One without so many distractions."

"I'm a distraction?" Sunset Shimmer asked incredulously. "You're the one who dropped in unannounced and brought your enemies here! If anything this is all your fault!"

Hildr turned on Sunset Shimmer. "Yes. It is my fault. It's my fault the Vex followed me here. It's my fault you got hurt. It's my fault you're still alive. And it's my fault for interrupting your idyllic life here." Her eyes narrowed. "What more would you have me do?"

Sunset Shimmer refused to be intimidated. "What would I have you do? Take me with you."

Hildr immediately shook her head. "Out of the question. You know nothing and would only get in my way."

"Knowing nothing is a two way street," Sunset Shimmer shot back. "You know nothing about this world and I know nothing about your enemies or how to fight them. Like I said before, we're stuck together now."

The corner of Hildr's lip twisted in a sneer. "Fine. Do as you wish. Don't say I didn't warn you." With that, she turned and walked out the door. Sunset Shimmer was taken aback and after a moment of hesitation, she quickly slipped into her boots and followed Hildr.

They went a short ways out of town so they wouldn't be bothered and bystanders wouldn't ask questions. "Okay Raven, give it a shot," Hildr said.

"Stand back and hope this works," Raven said and his points started to spin around his eye. There was a flash of light and Sunset Shimmer stood back in amazement as a space ship materialized above their heads. "This was the best I could do," Raven said, panting with effort.

"It's good enough," Hildr said. The ship gently floated down until it was resting on the ground.

Sunset Shimmer walked around the ship. She didn't know what to think and hesitantly reached out. The metal was cool to the touch and quite smooth. "What is this?" she asked.

"This is my jump ship I use to get around," Hildr said.

"Get around where?" Sunset Shimmer asked.

"Mostly the Earth, but it's capable of reaching anywhere in the Solar System," Hildr said.

Sunset Shimmer looked at Hildr in wonder. "You have all this amazing technology and you chose to leave? Why?"

Hildr shook her head. "It's not as great as you might think. All that we have has been scavenged from the dust heap of the past."

Sunset Shimmer looked down at her feet. "What happened?"

Hildr stared up at her ship. "Everything fell apart." Hildr blew out a breath and climbed on top of her ship. "It's going to be a bit cramped if you insist on coming along."

Sunset Shimmer needed no other invitation and quickly scrambled up. "Don't have to tell me twice." She settled in behind Hildr in the cockpit and squeezed her way in. "You weren't kidding."

"This ship isn't really meant for more than one person, so I modified it a little," Hildr said, moving her seat up. She closed the canopy and took control. "Buckle up and hang on."

"Hang on to what?" Sunset Shimmer asked as she frantically strapped herself in. Hildr tilted the nose of the ship up to the sky and punched the throttle. Sunset Shimmer's head slammed into the head rest. "You did that on purpose!" she winced.

"I did no such thing," Hildr replied.

Raven appeared next to Sunset Shimmer and whispered, "She totally did." Sunset Shimmer didn't know what was worse, the new headache she had or being pressed into the back of her seat. She felt like an elephant was stepping on her. "How much longer?" she grunted.

"Oh. I forgot to adjust the inertial dampeners. I'm not used to having a copilot," Hildr said. She made a few adjustments and Sunset Shimmer felt the pressure ease in her chest. "Okay, that one was not on purpose," Raven said.

Before long, they were out of the atmosphere and in space. "Would you like to see?" Hildr asked. She hit a few buttons and the entire cockpit canopy turned transparent, giving a full view of the stars. Sunset Shimmer's breath was taken away. Never in her wildest dreams has she imagined she would see the planet from space. The stars were brighter and she could see countless more than on the clearest night below. The sun was shining overhead, giving Sunset Shimmer a full view of the world below. Some of the land forms were hidden behind clouds, and she thought she could make out the general location of Canterlot City. The moon was off to the side, partially hidden behind the world. "This…this is amazing," Sunset Shimmer whispered. Hildr grunted in reply. "Any idea where we are Raven?" she asked.

"One second please," Raven asked politely. After a very long second, Raven replied, "I have good news and bad news."

"Bad news first," Hildr said.

"Okay. I have no idea where we are," Raven said.

"And the good news?" Hildr asked.

"Um, I hadn't gotten that far," Raven admitted.

"So you were just going to lie? What if I asked for good news first?" Hildr asked.

"Well, you never ask for good news first, so I thought I would have some time to think up some good news," Raven replied sheepishly. His eye blinked once and he sighed. "None of the stars match any known constellations."

"Known where you're from maybe," Sunset Shimmer finally spoke up. "Since I used to live in the pony Equestira, I've noticed many similarities between that world and this one."

"Such as?" HIldr asked.

"For starters, the worlds have roughly the same size and landmass locations. The stars that appear in the night sky also match," Sunset Shimmer said. She frowned as she thought. "It's almost like both worlds exist in the same time and space, but in different dimensions. The biggest difference is that one world has talking ponies."

Hildr and Raven shared a look. "I suppose such a thing is possible. Do you think this further proof of the Multiverse Theory?" Raven asked.

"Perhaps," Hildr said. "In any case, let's head to the moon and start marking star charts."

"Sounds like a plan," Raven said.

"Wait. Are we really going to the moon?" Sunset Shimmer asked.

"Unless you'd rather hop out and go home," Hildr replied. Sunset Shimmer glared at the back of Hildr's head. "How long will it take to get there?" she asked.

"Only a few minutes once the NLS drive is powered up," Hildr said.

"We shouldn't make a full powered jump just yet," Raven said. "I don't have the coordinates mapped yet and we could overshoot and end up who knows where."

"So we'll make a bunch of mini jumps," Hildr exasperated. Her patience was beginning to grow thin. She didn't expect everything to work out perfectly, but it seemed like everything she did only resulted in more problems and no solutions. She was still no closer to finding an access point to the Vex gate system, if such a thing existed after all. Her knuckles started to turn white as she gripped the controls.

"Hey. Calm down please," Raven said softly. "One step at a time, remember?"

"I haven't forgotten," Hildr hissed. "I feel like nothing has gone right during this whole adventure."

Raven sighed. "What else did you expect?"

"Honestly? About something like this," Hildr admitted. She pressed a few buttons on the control console and the stars started to lengthen into streaks of light. Before that could happen, the ship slowed back down. Sunset Shimmer noticed the world was considerably smaller. "How much further?" she asked.

"Two more jumps maybe," Hildr said. She made slight adjustments to the ship's course and engaged the drive again. Before it could activate fully, Hildr throttled back. They were now closer to the moon than the world. "Just what do you all call your world anyway?" Hildr asked.

"Well, Equestria is the main continent where Canterlot City is located," Sunset Shimmer said. "As far as the world itself, I'm not really sure. Some people refer to the whole planet as Equestria, but that isn't correct."

Hildr thought for a moment. "For simplicity, I shall refer to the planet as Terra."

"Terra? Isn't that the Latin word for 'earth'?" Sunset Shimmer asked.

"So you know Latin then?" Hildr asked. Sunset Shimmer nodded, although Hildr couldn't see. "Back in pony Equestira, some of the oldest spells and books are written in Latin."

"How is that possible?" HIldr asked. "Latin is native to my Earth and hasn't been spoken as a common language in hundreds of years." Sunset Shimmer shrugged. "Who knows? How are we able to speak the same language and understand each other?"

"More Multiverse Theory?" Raven offered, but Hidr ignored him. Moments later, the ship was in orbit around the moon. "It looks so different from here," Sunset Shimmer remarked.

"That's because we're orbiting right above it," Hildr replied. Sunset Shimmer let that remark slide. "Back in pony Equestira, there is a legend about the Mare in the Moon."

"Is that a reference to how the light and shadows on the moon resemble a horse?" Hildr asked.

"In this case, a unicorn," Sunset Shimmer said. "The story goes that long ago, there were two sisters that ruled over all of Equestria, one to govern the day and one to govern the night. Their primary jobs were to raise the sun and moon respectively."

"Really," Hilder said, not believing a word of it.

"Yes really. Magic remember?" Sunset Shimmer said. "Anyway, the younger sister that ruled over the night became disheartened with her role since ponies would sleep during the night and no one appreciated her work. She soon became angry and bitter, refusing to lower the moon. She became known as Nightmare Moon and her desire was to cover the land in permanent darkness so she would finally be appreciated. It is said that the princess of the sun used the Elements of Harmony to banish Nightmare Moon to the moon itself and seal her away for one thousand years. And to this day, when you look up at the night sky, Nightmare Moon looks down and waits for the day in which she will be free to have her revenge."

"Wow. That's quite the tale," Raven said.

"Sounds about as realistic as the Man in the Moon," Hildr replied.

Sunset Shimmer grinned. "It's totally real. As it turns out, she was freed after one thousand years and came back to take her revenge."

"Let me guess. The power of friendship saved the day?" Hidr asked.

Sunset Shimmer sat back and pouted. "That's the story I heard anyway. I was already here on the human side when it happened. I heard it from a friend of mine who was there."

Hildr said nothing as the ship made several orbits. Raven gathered as much data as he could and stored the star charts in the ship's memory banks. "I don't know how much good this will do, but it's better than nothing," he said.

"We should probably head back," Hildr said.

"How long will that take?" Sunset Shimmer asked.

"Not long. The coordinates are already saved in the navigation system. All we have to do is dial it up and off we go," Raven said. Hildr did just that and fully engaged the NLS drive. The stars elongated into streaks of light and the entire trip took less than a minute.

Hildr followed the marker on the HUD back to the outskirts of Canterlot. After they jumped out, Raven scanned the ship and it disappeared in a flash of glowing white lines.

"What happened?" Sunset Shimmer asked.

"The ship went back into the inventory. Can't leave it laying around to be discovered," Raven said. Sunset Shimmer decided this was a good point. It was now much later in the day as they walked back to Sunset Shimmer's house. As they drew close, Raven perked up. "Hold on. I'm detecting the signatures of several people inside."

Sunset Shimmer groaned and massaged her temples. "It's probably my friends throwing a surprise party of some kind."

Hildr and Raven shared a look. "We should probably be somewhere else then. Wouldn't want to raise too many questions," Raven said. "Do you have a phone or some other communications device?"

"Yeah. Why?" Sunset Shimmer asked as she pulled out her phone. Raven flew over and scanned her phone. "There. I have your number now. We'll contact you later. Let us know it it's safe to return or if we'll have to find somewhere to spend the night."

Sunset Shimmer stared at her phone. "Uh, okay. Sounds good." Hildr nodded and walked off.

Sunset Shimmer watched her leave. Today had been an interesting day. She looked up at the sky and saw the sun was starting to set. The thrill of traveling in space and seeing the moon made her giddy and she smiled. She had to admit that there were one or two good things that had come from meeting Hildr. Sunset Shimmer still had many questions, but they could wait. For now, she decided she shouldn't keep her friends waiting.

Sunset Shimmer opened the door, expecting a loud "SURPRISE!" and cake and confetti. To her confusion, three men wearing dark sunglasses and suits were standing in her living room. "Are you Sunset Shimmer?" one of the men asked.

"Um, yes?" Sunset Shimmer replied. Her good mood was quickly ruined and replaced with a bit of fear. Who were these men and what did they want? The man who spoke to her whispered into his lapel. "Good. Please come with us. We have some questions for you."

Sunset Shimmer frowned. "No way. Who are you and what do you want?"

The three men shared a look. "It really is in your best interest if you cooperate," the man said.

"And if I don't?" Sunset Shimmer asked, raising her hands and taking a step back in a defensive posture.

The man sighed. "We know all about you and your friend's abilities. We have countermeasures if you try to resist. Please don't make this harder than it has to be."

Sunset Shimmer's face twisted in anger. "Who are you to threaten me or my friends? What's this all about? Who are you?"

The man whispered in his lapel again. "You can either come with us now, or we round up all your friends and bring you all in together. Chances are, they don't know what you've been up too these last few days. They can either find out now, or you can tell them later. Your choice."

Sunset Shimmer clenched her fists tightly and they started to glow. "You leave my friends alone. They have nothing to do with this," she hissed.

There was a tinkling sound of breaking glass and Sunset Shimmer felt a sharp pain in her neck. She reached up and pulled out a dart. _Must be some kind of tranquilizer,_ she thought as her whole body started to feel numb. She tried to focus her anger and magic, but a fog was settling over her mind and soon, everything went black.

* * *

 _Dear Twilight,_

 _I had an amazing day that you wouldn't believe. It turns out Hidr has a ship that can go into space! And guess what we did? Totally went to space. Hildr said it was for astronavigation purposes, but I didn't care about any of that. I mean sure, the science behind space travel is rather fascinating, but I was more than happy to just experience space flight. I know you've read a lot of books, but nothing compares to actually seeing it for yourself. The stars are so much brighter and everything is so much clearer than just looking with a telescope. This is most likely due to the way light refracts through the atmosphere. And that's not even the best part! We even went to the MOON! I can't even begin to describe what it was like. Knowing you, you are probably doing everything you can to hold yourself back from coming here, but Hildr and I aren't exactly on good terms. Having you show up suddenly demanding to go to space probably wouldn't go over very well. Something to look forward to I guess._

 _Hildr continues to baffle me. I don't know what her true motives are and I doubt I'll ever find out. She mentioned before that she would be willing to leave this place behind. How can she do that? She brought her enemies here and we have no way to fight them. At the very least, she should stay and help clean up her mess. It's just so frustrating dealing with her._

 _Other than that, everything is fine. I hope you are doing well. I know I have no right to ask this, but give everyone there my greetings and regards._

 _Your friend,_

 _Sunset Shimmer_


	4. Conspiracy?

Hildr wandered about until she found a park. Due to the late time of day, the park was empty. Hildr sat on a bench and looked out at her surroundings. "I wonder what Lady Skorri would say about this place," she mused.

"If I had to guess, it would be some sort of poem describing how quiet and tranquil everything is," Raven commented.

"Perhaps, but I get the feeling that we're missing something here," Hildr said. She put her hand to her chin and thought about everything had happened. "Is this the only inhabited continent on this whole planet?" she asked.

"Hard to say. I did notice other landforms while we were in orbit," Raven said. Hildr nodded absently. "With everything I've seen so far, I wonder why the people of this planet haven't made any attempts at space travel."

"Maybe they have," Raven said.

"If that were the case, we would have seen some evidence of that," Hildr said. "At the very least, they should have satellites or some sort of debris in orbit." Raven bobbed in the air, as if giving a shrug. "Hard to say. Perhaps they haven't made the necessary technological advancements?"

"I find that hard to believe," Hildr said. "In any case, I think it's worth exploring this planet a little. We might be able to find what we're looking for."

"And what exactly is that?" Raven asked. Hildr glared at him and he shrank back. "I mean, I know we need to find a conflux and access the Vex network, but is that really all?"

"What are you saying?" Hildr asked with a frown. Raven sighed and buzzed about, trying to find the right words. "After all we've been through, I'm still not sure I completely understand what you're trying to do."

"I thought I'd made that clear a long time ago," Hildr said, but Raven shook his eye. "No, you haven't." He floated up until he was eye to eye with Hildr. "What is your plan?"

Hildr scowled and sat back. "Tell me what _you_ think then."

"Nope. I asked you first," Raven replied.

"Why does it matter?" Hildr asked.

"Because I think you have no idea what you're doing," Raven said.

Hildr's temper started to rise and she tried to tamp it back down. "Fine then. If it wasn't so obvious before, we are hijacking the Vex network to travel back in time."

Raven simply stared at his Guardian. "Y-you're serious?"

"What did you think we were doing?" Hildr hissed.

Raven jumped back and his points spun in surprise. "I don't know, looking for a weakness of the Vex to exploit, or trying to find Osiris, or something like that."

"And what good would any of that do?" Hildr shot back. She jumped to her feet and glared at her Ghost. "Use your brain and think: What is the biggest threat Humanity has ever faced?"

"Uh, the Darkness?" Raven suggested.

"And why is that?" Hildr asked.

Raven looked back and forth while thinking. "Because it followed the Traveler?" Hildr put her hands on her hips and leaned forward. "Exactly. Everything that has happened can be traced back to one event, and that is finding the Traveler."

"But…but there's no guarantee that the Darkness specifically followed the Traveler in the first place," Raven said.

Hildr clenched her fists and let out a frustrated breath. "And now we'll never know, will we?"

Raven turned in a slow circle. "So let me get this straight. You want to go back in time and prevent Humanity from discovering the Traveler?" Hildr said nothing and stared at Raven. "You're willing to give up everything the Traveler has done, all the advancements in science and technology, just to prevent the Collapse from happening?" Raven shook his eye. "That's incredibly arrogant and short-sighted of you."

"Arrogant?" Hildr asked, her voice rising. "Ask the Fallen and see how it worked out for them."

"There's no evidence to suggest that the Traveler is the same as the 'Great Machine' the Fallen talk about," Raven said.

"Then what other reason would they have for being here?" Hildr countered. "What other reason would a race of hostile aliens have to leave their planet and follow the Traveler across the known universe? Either to take it back or get revenge on it for leaving."

"I still find your reasoning hard to believe," Raven said. Hildr folded her arms and turned her back to Raven. "I don't care if you believe me. You're here aren't you?"

Raven sighed. "For better or worse. And we have certainly been through our share of worse."

Hildr stared up at the darkening sky. So far, only the brightest of stars were shining. "Do you suppose the stars on this planet are the same as Earth, just from a different angle or point of view?"

Raven stared at Hildr. "Where did that come from?"

Hildr turned and made a face at Raven. "What are you complaining about?"

"Nothing," Raven said. He edged his way closer to Hildr. "So is that really your plan? How would you even prevent the first meeting with the Traveler?"

"Who said I ever wanted to do that?" Hildr asked. Raven slowly turned to face Hildr. "What? I'm so confused now. What's going on?" he sputtered.

Hildr consciously unclenched her fists and tried to work the feeling back into her cramped fingers. "I'm not alone in thinking the Traveler shares some blame for the Collapse. But it would be useless to try and prevent the Traveler from coming. How would you even stop something like that in the first place?" She then began to pace back and forth, Raven watching her intently. "So what other options are there? I have thought of several. Number one, go back in time and prevent SIVA from being created."

"What?" Raven shouted. "What purpose would that serve? How would you even DO that?"

Hildr turned on her Ghost and angrily pointed her finger in his eye. "Just shut up and listen for once! SIVA was developed by a Clovis Bray research facility. So we either prevent SIVA's creation, or obtain the kill codes and shut it down ourselves."

"That's an even worse idea!" Raven said. "We know very little about the creation of SIVA or how it even works! Not to mention the fact that Rasputin somehow took control of the entire replication complex. You know what happened."

"Of course I know what happened!" Hildr shouted. "I told them it was a terrible idea, but they didn't listen. No one ever listens to what I have to say!"

"I'm listening," Raven mumbled and Hildr glared at him. "Is that by choice? Do you even have free will, or are you a slave to the Traveler's grand design?"

"I found you and raised you because I was certain you had incredible potential for good and to help Humanity. And I was right for the most part," Raven replied testily.

Hildr crossed her arms and made a _hmph_ sound. "And you're telling me that Ghosts don't make mistakes?"

"I never said that," Raven shot back. "Our purpose is to raise Guardians from the dead to act as protectors of Humanity."

"Then how do you explain fallen Guardians like Rezyl Azzir?" Hildr shot back. "Do you think their Ghosts resent ever raising them?"

"I wouldn't know. I'm not the Ghost of a fallen Guardian. Or am I?" Raven asked. Hildr quickly lashed out and grabbed Raven in her fist. "Am I? A fallen Guardian? If a fallen Guardian is defined as one who has turned their back on the City, the Traveler, and Humanity? By that definition I say no. If a fallen Guardian is defined as one who turned away from the Light and become consumed by the Darkness, again I say no. Osiris was banned from the City. Is he a fallen Guardian?" Raven said noting in reply. "What about Toland the Shattered? Is he a fallen Guardian?" Again, Raven said nothing. "Or what about in the first days of the Iron Lords who fought against the various warlords, hmm? Do you think the Ghosts of those who caused so much pain and suffering for others had regrets?"

"I have no regrets about raising you, but sometimes I wonder if I was in my right mind when I did so," Raven said. Enraged, Hilder threw Raven as hard as she could. He floated haphazardly for about ten feet before righting himself. He gave a little shake and huffed.

Hildr continued to glare at him. "Get the ship. We're going exploring."

Raven's annoyance turned to confusion. "Where are you trying to go?"

Hildr took a deep breath and sighed. "You said there were other landforms on this planet. I want to go and investigate those places. Maybe we'll find something of use there."

Raven gave a little shrug. "You want to do it here in this park? Might attract some attention."

"Just do it," Hildr growled. Reluctantly, Raven materialized the ship. It hovered above the ground and Raven transmatted Hildr onboard. Hildr took the controls and quickly took off for orbit. Hildr oriented the ship so they had a clear view of the planet. "The continent of Equestria, as we are calling it, is directly below. According to my scans, there is another large land mass across the ocean to the east. I'm getting bare traces of technology, but no civilization. Strange, don't you think?" Raven said. Hildr nodded reply. "Indeed. Let's have a look." She made a few adjustments and headed back down to the planet.

Hildr soon found herself flying above the ocean with the sun rapidly setting behind. With no other lights, the stars shone brightly in the sky. Hildr found her mind wandering when Raven said, "We're coming up on the coastline." Shaking her head, Hildr pulled back on the controls, causing her ship to gain altitude.

The coastline appeared as a gray line on the horizon that quickly grew larger. This particular stretch of coastline consisted of high, rocky cliffs. The ocean pounded on the rocks below, sending spray high into the air. And just like that, the coast was behind them and Hildr continued to fly onwards. She slowed down some so they could get a better look. Down below, the land appeared to be heavily forested. It was hard to see in the dark, but growth in the forest appeared to be uneven with large patches of dead land. Nature appeared to be recovering from some kind of catastrophic event. "So far, I'm not seeing any signs of civilization," Raven said.

"It is getting late. We'll be able to see better in the daytime," HIldr said.

Suddenly Raven shouted "Stop!" Hildr immediately hit the airbrakes, bringing the ship to a halt. "What?" she asked angrily.

"As we were flying along, the ship's sensors detected an encrypted data burst," Raven said. "If I had to guess, I think we set off an alarm."

Hildr frowned. "But why now? We haven't seen anything yet."

"Maybe that's the point," Raven said. "Someone is hiding something and doesn't want anyone to find out, especially time traveling Guardians."

Hildr crossed her arms and thought. "Is there any way to tell where the data burst came from?" Raven shook his eye. "It was a quick burst, only a few micro seconds in length. I was lucky to catch it when I did."

Hildr looked out into the inky darkness. "Someone is trying to keep a secret. I think we should find out why."

Raven stared at Hildr. "Getting side tracked already?"

"No. This might be what we've been looking for," HIldr said. "But we'll look in the morning. Let's find a place to put down for now." She took the controls and piloted the ship forward at a moderate speed.

Raven checked the scanners as the ground passed underneath. The forest began to thin out and transitioned into over grown fields. A broken road was barely visible. "Let's follow that and see where it takes us," he said. Hildr said nothing.

After a while buildings began to appear, but they were in a severe state of disrepair. Most were nothing more than piles of rubble. A few even had small trees growing through the roof or broken windows. "What happened here?" Raven asked.

"Hard to say. Looks to me this place had its own Collapse," Hildr said. She hovered over a crumbling building. "Drop us down," she said and Raven transmatted them to the roof of the building. "What about the ship?" Raven asked.

"Send it back to orbit for now, but keep it close," Hildr said. The ship re-oriented itself and took off. Hildr watched it until it disappeared. She then turned to view her immediate surroundings and growled. The building they were on was a short, two story warehouse made out of concrete and steel. The masonry was crumbling apart and there were large holes in the roof. Hildr made her way to the edge and looked out. The rest of the buildings weren't in much better shape. "This must have been a warehouse district of some kind," she said.

Raven floated around, scanning everything. "I think I'm inclined to agree with you. From what I've been able to discover, this particular building was used as a storage facility for cleaning chemicals."

Hildr nodded absently. "Any signs of technology?" Raven shook his eye. "Not that I can tell. Everything here has degraded too much."

Hiidr gave him a sly look. "What about 'alien' technology?"

Raven turned to face Hildr. "What do you-" He saw the look Hildr was giving him and he came to a realization. "Oh. Right." His eye blinked for a few seconds. "Nope. Still nothing."

Hildr shrugged. "Worth a shot. We'll figure it out in the morning."

Raven sighed. "What about that data burst? If there was one, there will most likely be other tracking devices."

Hildr closed her eyes and let out a sharp breath. "We'll worry about that later too." She looked around and saw the rooftop access door. Mindful of the crumbling roof, Hildr made her way to the door and wrenched it open. Since there was no power or lighting, Raven acted as a flashlight and illuminated the path.

The stairs led down to another door, which was rusted shut. After a vigorous application of elbow grease, cursing, and a nearly dislocated shoulder, the door screeched open and Hildr pushed her way through. HIldr found herself on a catwalk above the warehouse floor. Up ahead looked to be an office that looked over the whole factory. "We'll camp there," Hildr said and pointed.

After a few moments of carefully walking across the rusted metal catwalk, Hildr pushed the door open and Raven floated inside. "Hmm. This is cozy," he remarked sarcastically. A thick layer of dust had settled on all of the horizontal surfaces. The room was wide enough that Hildr could spread her arms out and not touch the walls and about twice that length. Some broken chairs littered the corner. Hildr also noted the windows that looked out over the warehouse were missing. She put her hands on her hips and said, "Okay. Get out the overnight box."

"I'm on it," Raven replied, rather reluctantly. A large hardened case appeared on the ground. Hildr pressed a button and the top opened up, revealing a series of smaller boxes. Hildr pulled one out and set it on the ground. She pressed a few switches and the box started to make a whirring sound. Hildr stepped back and the box expanded into a sleep pod about seven feet long, three feet wide and three feet tall. The bottom of the pod contained a few drawers for extra clothes or blankets. Hildr went back to the big box and pulled out an electric lantern and turned it on. Soft yellow light illuminated the room.

Raven floated out through the broken windows and down to the floor. Several large containers were stacked on one side, but the floor space was otherwise empty. Raven also noticed many stains on the ground. Scans revealed them to be chemical residue from spills. The Ghost continued to explore his surroundings, looking for anything of note.

Hildr set up a small heating unit and cooked a ration pack. She didn't mind the bland taste, but didn't see how Hunters could spent so much time away from the Tower living off of them. Raven came back as she was finishing up. "You know, we could have spent another night with Sunset Shimmer before exploring. Plus you could ask her about all this," he said.

Hildr licked her spoon and frowned. "What makes you think she knows about any of this? She's not even from here."

Raven rolled his eye. "That may be true, but it's better than the nothing we have to go on right now." Hildr sighed and waved him off. "There's nothing we can do about it now. Worry about it in the morning." She packed away the remains of her dinner and pulled out her med bag. Raven watched as Hildr took inventory. "Expecting problems?" he asked.

"I don't know. It's always a possibility," Hildr said. "I am due for inventory anyway. Find anything interesting in your travels?"

"Not really. I didn't go very far, just inside the warehouse," Raven said. Hildr nodded in reply and continued her task. When she was done, she packed everything up and put her bag back in storage. Hildr then stood and stripped down to her under layer. "If you can't sleep, go and explore a little bit," she said to Raven as she opened the sleep pod and climbed inside. After a bit of tossing and turning, Hildr finally fell asleep.

* * *

Sunset Shimmer opened her eyes and groaned. Her vision was blurry and the splitting headache certainly didn't help. She winced and rubbed her head. Her memory was a little fuzzy, but she remembered meeting strangers in her apartment. Sunset's vision cleared and she found herself laying on a small cot in a white padded room. A table with two chairs sat in the middle. She slowly sat up and took several deep breaths. "What have I gotten myself into this time?" she wondered.

The door opened and Sunset looked up to see the same man from her apartment enter. He was still wearing sunglasses. Sunset frowned. "What do you want with me? Why am I here?" The man said nothing, but sat at the table. He indicated to the empty chair, inviting Sunset Shimmer to join him. She gave him a wary look before sitting down. "So. You are Sunset Shimmer, yes?" the man asked.

"Yes. Who are you?" Sunset asked.

The man stared at her with a blank expression. "You may call me Agent Smith."

"Really? Agent Smith? You sure are playing up the secret government agent stereotype," Sunset replied and sat back, crossing her arms. "Why am I here?"

Smith leaned forward, placing his arms on the table. "You are here, because we have evidence that you have been in contact with an unknown female entity."

"Really? What proof do you have?" Sunset asked. Smith pulled out a folder and showed her a series of photographs. Each was a different angle, but clearly showed Sunset Shimmer and Hildr together. "So you have some pictures. What of it?" she asked.

"Let me make this clear to you," Smith said. "We know all about you, your friends, and you 'magical' abilities. We've had you all under surveillance for some time, ever since the incident at your Fall Formal."

Sunset Shimmer was taken aback. "How do you even know about that?"

Smith chuckled. "The Internet dear. You'd be surprised the amount of information you can find if you simply take the time to look."

Sunset was unsure. "If you've know about us for so long, why show yourselves now?"

Smith shrugged. "My superiors are more than content to let you and your friends be, as long as you don't present a threat."

"A threat to who?" Sunset asked. "If you really thought that, you would have locked me up when I first came here! Or taken us in for questioning after what happened at the Battle of the Bands. Or investigated what happened at the Friendship Games! Or showed some concern when a giant monster appeared in Everfree Forest this summer!" She glared at the man named Smith. "What are you really after?"

Seemingly unconcerned by Sunset's aggression, Smith pointed to the photos. "Two days ago, our monitors discovered a momentary spike in electromagnetic energy, followed by a unique gravity incident. We determined the source to be here in Canterlot City or somewhere close by."

Sunset shrugged. "What does that have to do with these photos?" she asked.

"After these events were noted, a team was sent to investigate. The next morning, these pictures were taken," Smith said.

Sunset Shimmer was at a loss. "So you think this woman was responsible for these weird readings you recorded?" she asked and Smith nodded. "How do you know she isn't just visiting from out of town?" Sunset added.

"We've searched every government database that exists. There is no record of this 'Hildr' ever existing here in Equestira," Smith said.

"So you just jump to the conclusion that she came from another universe?" Sunset asked.

"Isn't that what you did?" Smith replied. Sunset said nothing, but glared at Smith. She was both annoyed and confused by what was going on. "So what do you want?" she asked.

Smith leaned back and had the audacity to look hurt. "I'm just a simple government employee trying to do my job. Right now, my job is trying to figure out if this Hildr woman, or you for that matter, are a threat to the peace and security of this country."

Sunset stared long and hard at Smith. "A threat? Just what are you trying to find?" A sudden thought came to Sunset and she added, "Or what is it you're trying to hide?"

Smith cleared his throat and adjusted his tie. Sunset smirked to herself. _Gotcha._ "When was the last time you saw Hildr?" he asked.

Sunset shrugged. "Well since you have such _overwhelming_ evidence that I'm colluding with another otherworldly character, I haven't seen her since yesterday."

Smith remained unconvinced. "Was this before or after you let her stay overnight?"

Sunset rolled her eyes. "You're the super spy, you tell me."

Smith sighed and shook his head. "Like I said in your apartment, it really is in your best interest to cooperate with us."

"Or what?" Sunset shouted, slamming her fists on the table. "You'll abduct me and take me to a secret prison?" She stood and angrily waved her arms. "Oh wait! We've already done that!"

Smith simply stared at the enraged young girl. "This was merely a precaution. We didn't need you to cause a scene and have other people get involved. Luckily for us, your apartment is quiet and out of the way."

Susnet slammed her hands down on the table and leaned over in a threating manner. "Take me home. Right now!"

"Or what?" Smith asked calmly. "You are in no position to make demands. But by all means, keep making threats and digging your hole deeper." His face became serious as he added, "I can make you disappear, like you never existed in the first place."

Sunset Shimmer leaned back and laughed. "Ha! As you said before, I'm not from here, so I don't belong anyway!"

Smith sighed and slowly rose to his feet. "I try to make it a point not to threaten young high school girls, but since you are technically none of the above, I guess those rules don't apply to you do they?"

Sunset stepped back and took a defensive posture. "If you come after me, I WILL defend myself. I don't care if you lock me up and throw away the key, but I won't go down without a fight."

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Smith stared at Sunset for a long moment, then went to the door and opened it. Sunset couldn't hear what was said, only mumbling. Once, Smith turned around to look back at Sunset. He didn't look very happy, so Sunset blew him a kiss and waved. After a few more moments, Smith walked back to the table. Once again, his face was unreadable. Sunset glared at him and crossed her arms. "A more pressing matter has come to our attention. You're free to go, but we'll be in touch," Smith said.

Sunset grunted. "Well I won't hold my breath." She looked around the room and added, "So how do I get out of here?"

Just then, there was a _pfft_ sound and Sunset felt a prick in her neck. She reached up and pulled out a dart. "Really guys? Again?" she asked incredulously.

"This is a secret facility and should remain so," Smiths said.

Sunset glared at him. She could feel her arms growing heavy and fog was enveloping her thoughts. "I'm really starting to not like you guys," she slurred. "You're off my Christmas Card list for sure."

"I'm heartbroken, really," Smith replied. The last thing Sunset saw before slipping into unconsciousness was Smith standing over her with a sympathetic look on his face.

Once again, when Sunset Shimmer opened her eyes, she winced from the hammers pounding in her skull. "Ugh. I think they did that on purpose," she mumbled. At least this time, she was back in her own bed staring up at her own ceiling. She sat up and sighed. The events of the last few hours finally caught with her and she started shaking. All the anger and annoyance drained away and was replaced with fear and paranoia. Sunset fought to keep her breathing and under control and her heart rate skyrocketed. "Who was that? Why is the government watching me?" She wondered. Sunset felt in her pockets and pulled out her phone. She made a disgusted face and tossed it aside. "Have they really been watching me? Bunch of perverts." Sunset then looked around her room, scrutinizing every nook and cranny. "Hey! Are you watching me now?" she asked out loud.

She then walked through her apartment, checking for anything that seemed out of place. After several minutes of this, she collapsed onto her couch. "Good job Sunset. You're letting them get to you. Pretty soon you'll end up like those conspiracy theory nutjobs," she muttered. Still, being effectively kidnapped unnerved and upset her greatly. Whoever Smith claimed to be, he proved he had the ability to get to her. Sunset suddenly sat up. "If he could get to me, then that means…" She quickly ran back upstairs to her room and dived across the bed for her phone. She scrolled through the message settings until she found the group text with her friends. With shaking hands, she sent off her message.

 **S.S. – Hey. Have you guys noticed anything weird the last few days?**

She looked at the time and saw it was fairly late. She wouldn't be surprised if no one replied until morning. However, moments later, her phone dinged.

 **R.D. – Hey Sunset! Nah, I haven't seen anything weird. Is this about what happened to you?**

 **A.J. – Nope! Haven't seen anything out of the ordinary. I've been pretty busy around the farm, so I don't know a whole lot about what's going on in town.**

 **F Shy – Hello Sunset. I haven't seen anything strange. None of the animals have noticed anything either.**

 **Rarity – Darling, it's too late for this nonsense. Can't it wait until morning?**

 **SciTwi – Is everything okay Sunset? Did something happen?**

 **P.P. – Hi Shimmy! What kind of weird? Normal weird, or crazy magic weird? Although I DID mix the vanilla sprinkles with the strawberry ones and I normally wouldn't but for some reason I had this idea that it would turn out okay and I put them on the chocolate cake I made and it turned out okay but something was still missing so I…**

Sunset didn't bother to read the rest of Pinkie's message, she got the gist of it. Blowing out a nervous breath, she typed her new message.

 **S.S. – Everything is fine, but I have a sneaking suspicion that things are about to get weird again. How about we get together tomorrow?**

As soon as she sent her message, Sunset groaned and slapped her forehead.

 **S.S. – Never mind. I have to work tomorrow. We should get together soon though.**

Sunset sighed and put her phone down. Since it was so late, she decided to shower in the morning before going in. Her thoughts then turned to the man named Smith. "What is he hiding? Why is he so interested in Hildr and not me?" A small part of her brain was slightly offended that she didn't warrant as much attention as Hildr, even though Sunset was the first traveler from another world. The rest of her brain quickly squashed this thought and paid it no further attention. As she was getting ready for bed, Sunset made up her mind to try and look into the matter. She wasn't sure what she'd find, but it was better than nothing. Sunset lay in bed and finally drifted off into a non-chemically induced sleep.

* * *

 _Hey Twilight,_

 _Things have been escalating quickly and I have a suspicion that HIldr is the reason for it. It's likely not her fault these things have started happening, but we'll just have deal with it and move on from there. Anyway, before you get all fired up, nothing has happened yet. Well, that's not exactly true. I met a man who calls himself Agent Smith and claims to work for the government. I don't know why it surprised me when he said me and the other girls were being watched. I probably shouldn't have said that. Now you're probably having a panic attack. Like I said, nothing has happened yet and you have your own responsibilities as Princess of Friendship, so please don't drop everything just to come here. I promise I'll keep you informed. You may be a princess, but I was Celestia's student too. I know how to take care of myself. Say hi to Spike and give him a knuckle rub for me. On an unrelated note, do you think it would be okay for me to visit sometime? I know it's been a while since I was there and I didn't exactly leave on the best of terms. Anyway, I'll be in touch._

 _Your friend always,_

 _Sunset Shimmer_


	5. Doubt

**AUTHOR NOTE: This will probably be the last chapter for a while. I've hit a bit of a wall with this story and real life commitments are a thing. I'll update when I can, but it might be a while. I really hate leaving things unfinished, so I apologize and ask for your understanding.**

* * *

Hildr emerged from her sleeping pod the next morning feeling stiff and sore. She spent a few moments stretching her muscles and waking up. The sun shone through the holes in the roof and Hildr guessed the time to be around mid-morning. She sighed and moved to her overnight box and pulled out a ration pack and energy drink. While she waited for the tasteless food to finish heating up, Hildr thought about the plan for the day.

Raven returned just as Hildr was starting her morning meal. "Oh. Sleep well?" he asked.

"Not particularly," Hildr replied.

Raven turned to look at the portable sleeping pod. "Did the pod malfunction?"

HIldr shook her head. "No. The pod's fine, I just have a bit of trouble sleeping in it is all."

Raven hovered closer and asked, "Is the mattress too lumpy?"

Hildr stopped eating and stared at her Ghost. "I said its fine." Slightly miffed, Raven moved away. "Find anything?" Hildr added.

"Well I'm sure you're aware by now, but our current location is on the outer fringes of a large city, at least as large as some Golden Age Earth cities," Raven said.

"Anything else?" Hildr asked, taking a bite of breakfast. Raven simply stared at her. "This is a huge continent! We were lucky to find this when we did! Right now, I have no way of knowing what else is out there."

Hildr shrugged. "This place is big. So?"

"So?" Raven asked incredulously. "It would take YEARS to properly map and explore this place!"

Hldr finished eating and rose to her feet. "So we start with what we know. We'll head further into this city and look for some kind of information center, or network hub if such a thing exists."

Raven looked around. "But everything is crumbling and falling apart. Any technology like that would have vanished long ago."

Hildr scowled. "True, but we have no way of knowing how long ago any of this happened," she said.

"Well based on weather patterns, vegetation growth rate, material erosion rates, and a few other factors, I can take a guess at how long it's been since preventative maintenance has been performed."

"And?" Hildr asked, making a waiting gesture. Raven's eye blinked for a few moments and he said, "My best guess is about three hundred years."

Hildr was slightly shocked. "That's all?" she asked.

"Like I said, that's how long it's been since the buildings started to fall apart. How long before that everything was abandoned, I have no idea," Raven said.

Hildr sighed and put her hands on her hips. "Then let's get going." She cleaned up as best she could and got dressed, putting on her armor. Hildr then packed up her makeshift camp and Raven returned the gear to storage. Hildr looked around, making sure she didn't miss anything, then went back up to the roof. Raven called the ship and moments later, it appeared above them. Raven transmatted HIldr onboard and she piloted the ship deeper into the abandoned city.

Raven was speechless by what he saw. The buildings grew taller and more elaborate, definitely hinting at advanced construction technology and techniques. The morning light glinted off the exposed metal exteriors, turning everything a golden color tinged with rust. Nature had also done its part and was trying to reclaim the land. Most of the smaller buildings were covered with thick vines and other vegetation. Something else that struck Raven as odd was the lack of wildlife. Whatever had happened here certainly left a lingering impression on the planet.

Hildr suddenly frowned and took the ship straight up. "What's wrong?" Raven asked.

Hildr pointed out the window and asked, "What do you see?"

Raven looked, not sure what she was getting at. "Um, an abandoned city?" he guessed.

"Look again," Hildr said.

Squinting his eye, Raven took a closer look, scrutinizing every detail he could. "I'm not a city planner, but the roads and thruways are laid out rather strange," he said.

"Okay sure, but that's not what I'm talking about," Hildr said.

"Then what ARE you talking about," Raven asked. Hildr grabbed her Ghost and pointed him in the direction she wanted him to see. "What does that say to you?"

Raven finally saw what she was getting at. "Oh," was all he managed to say.

At the far end of the city, the vegetation suddenly ended, as if there was an invisible line it could not cross. Beyond that, the buildings had all collapsed, leaving outlines in the ground where they used to stand. But what really pulled Raven's attention were the deep lines cut in the ground in right angles and circles. Blocky structures of metal and stone rose up into the air. This strange architecture extended out to the horizon. "Does any of that look familiar?" Hildr asked.

"Well, there's no question the Vex have a presence here," Raven said. HIldr nodded and took the ship back to orbit. When they were at sufficient altitude, Hildr maneuvered the ship to look at the planet below. Fortunately there was little cloud cover and they could see the extent of the Vex terraforming. More than half of the continent was a rusty bronze color, typical of Vex terraforming. Compared to the greenery and mountain ranges nearby, this area appeared like a wound that had scabbed over. Perhaps time would tell if the area taken by the Vex would be reclaimed. Until then, it would stand as a stark reminder of what the Vex were capable of.

Raven finally found his voice. "But why stop there? Why not change the whole planet like the Vex did to Mercury?" he asked.

Hildr shrugged. "Who knows? Perhaps the forebears of this planet managed to put up a resistance."

"Well now we know we can get some answers," Raven said. "Maybe even find a conflux."

Hildr stroked her chin in thought. "I noticed the buildings resembled those found on Earth before the Collapse." She turned to Raven and said, "Do you remember what the old colony ships looked like?"

"Yes. Why?" Raven asked.

Once again, Hildr piloted her ship down to the planet's surface. "I have a hunch. I want you to scan for anything that resembles the shape of a colony ship."

Raven thought for a moment. "You know, it's highly unlikely this planet was settled by colonists from Earth."

"Just like it's unlikely the Vex have a presence on this planet?" Hildr shot back.

"Okay, okay. Jeez," Raven exasperated. They started near the city and Raven scanned all the nearby structures and matched the profiles. The day wore on as they continued and Hildr was growing more and more frustrated. "Let's say that this planet was indeed settled by colonists," Raven said. "It's highly unlikely the bulk of the colony ship would have made it down to the planet. They were designed remain in orbit while shuttles ferried supplies and personnel to the surface."

Hildr growled. "I'm well aware of how the colony ships were supposed to work. Since there is nothing in orbit now, it probably crashed a long time ago." She then pointed sharply back to the ship's display. "So scan for wrecks or anything that looks like a large man-made object fell from space."

"But it could be anywhere!" Raven protested.

Hildr slammed her fists into the console and shouted, "I know that! What else would you have me do? Poke through the abandoned buildings, hoping we get lucky with a computer terminal and a power source?" Raven remained quiet while Hildr raged. "I'm doing the best I can right now, and you questioning everything I do isn't helping!" Hildr took several deep breaths and massaged her hands.

The tension hung thick between them. After a while, Raven said softly, "I'm not trying to make your life difficult. You aren't exactly making it easy for me either."

"I know. I'm sorry," Hildr replied. She stared out the window and sighed. "You're right you know."

"Right about what?" Raven asked.

"Right about everything," Hildr said. "I don't have a real plan and if I did, it would be a stupid plan. Why do you think Lady Perun or the others never asked for my advice?"

"Because your role is geared more towards support?" Raven suggested. "And besides, that never stopped you from giving your opinions in the past." Hildr shot him a glare. "Everyone has a part to play, some more important than others," she said.

"True. And we all do the best we can with what we have," Raven said. He then turned his attention back to the scanners. "Not to upset you even more, but I doubt we'll find evidence of the colony ship. The pieces are probably buried in the ground by now, if not rearranged by the terraforming." With a chuckle he added, "But just imagine if the remains were actually back in Equestria near Canterlot City."

Hildr frowned at Raven. "Now you've jinxed us," she said.

Hours later, they still had no real answers. Further scans of the current city continued to reinforce Hildr's suspicion that this planet was settled by a colony ship from Earth. Meanwhile, Hildr steered the ship toward the Vex infestation. As she looked out, Hildr noticed something odd. "These Vex structures are different than those on Venus and Mercury," she said.

Raven nodded. "I think I see what you mean. Nothing is illuminated and everything seems dead. I've never known of the Vex to simply to give up on whatever they were doing."

Hildr nodded absently and took the ship closer to the ground. From space, the lines and patters that were typical of Vex structures seemed to be rather intricate, but were actually deep canyons cut into the planet's surface. Large blocks of land were cut out and suspended in the air by unknown means, proving to be a flying hazard. From this level, everything as far as they eye could see was created with cold, machine-like precision.

To add to the unsettling atmosphere, there were no signs of life anywhere. The ship's sensors picked up no Vex activity and certainly no organic lifeforms. "What happened here?" Raven wondered.

Hildr said nothing and took the ship down further and hovered over a large cliff edge. She punched a few buttons and unbuckled her harness. "Let's go down and have a look," she said. Reluctantly, Raven transmatted Hildr to the planet's surface. Hildr put on her helmet and checked her weapons. When she was satisfied with her preparations, she turned to Raven and said, "Send the ship back to orbit and keep scanning. Also, be on the lookout for more sensor beacons and tripwires."

"Will do," Raven said and the ship took off. Hildr looked around and sighed. The top of the cliff was a nice vantage point, but there wasn't much else around. She peered over the edge and stared down into the seemingly bottomless canyon. Off in the distance, Hildr noticed a structure that towered above the landscape. "Raven, sparrow please," Hildr asked. Raven's eye blinked as Hildr's rocket powered land speeder materialized. Hildr hopped on and sped off.

* * *

Sunset Shimmer sighed as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. Hildr never came back last night and Sunset Shimmer had no idea where she was. After the excitement last night, she considered calling in sick, but decided against it. Her boss was nice and she rather liked her job working at the sushi restaurant in the mall. Fortunately, her shift didn't start until the afternoon, so Sunset Shimmer slept in. After a quick shower and clean clothes, the young woman felt marginally better.

Sunset Shimmer unwrapped the bandages from her arms and saw her wounds had completely healed with no scarring. She had to admit she was very impressed. Hildr may be completely unlikeable, but her medical skills were outstanding. Sunset gently traced her fingers over her arms and thought about what could have happened otherwise. She shook her head, ridding herself of those thoughts. No use thinking about it now. Sunset glanced at the clock and saw it was time to get ready. Her uniform consisted of a blue sleeveless kimono that fell to mid-thigh with blue and white trim. Sunset Shimmer pulled on a pair of pants underneath and put her shoes, socks, and other uniform items in her backpack. She put on her jacket and boots, picked up her helmet and walked out the door.

Out in the parking lot, she walked past different cars of various makes and models before coming to a little canopied area reserved for motorcycles and scooters. There she found one of her few possessions in the human world Sunset Shimmer was actually proud of: a sport motorcycle styled after the Grand Prix racing super bikes. Her bike was black with red trim. Sunset Shimmer added her own personal touch by painting her cutie mark of a red and gold sun on the front fenders.

Sunset sat on her bike and turned it on, relishing the power as the engine roared to life. The motocross event at the Friendship Games had been a lot of fun and she enjoyed it immensely, but there was something about a powerful street bike that really got her blood pumping. Sunset would neither confirm nor deny that she and Rainbow Dash had ever engaged in street racing. Sunset kicked her bike in gear and headed out.

The mall where she worked was across town, about a fifteen minute drive depending on traffic, from where Sunset Shimmer lived. The weather was rather pleasant, perfect for riding, and Sunset again lamented the fact she had to work. As it were, she hit the throttle and barely stayed inside the speed limit all the way to the mall. She smiled and relished the feeling of power and speed. To be honest, moments like this reminded her of home in pony Equestria, running freely through the open fields and feeling the wind pull at her mane, laughing and playing with no care in the world But it also made her feel a bit homesick.

Before long, Sunset Shimmer pulled into the employee parking lot and parked her bike. She dashed inside and found the ready room for the restaurant. Sunset pulled off her jacket and pants, smoothed out her uniform, and pulled the rest of her uniform out of her bag. Her apron had a small stylized octopus and waves embroidered on it. She gathered her red and gold hair in a stylish up do and held it together with a large sashimi shaped barrette. She added a little fish pin just above her bangs. As she was putting on her socks and sandals, her boss poked his head in. "Ah Sunset, you're here. I know it's not on your schedule, but I need you to host."

"No problem boss," Sunset said and jumped to her feet. He smiled and left. Sunset smoothed out her uniform and sighed. "Okay. Let's get this over with," she said and went out to the dining area. The restaurant itself wasn't very big and only had a few booths and tables. The biggest draw to the restaurant was the hibachi grill. It was quite common for the hibachi to be reserved for birthdays, holiday parties, corporate functions, and things of that nature. Sunset Shimmer was fascinated by the professionalism and showmanship of the hibachi chefs and she sometimes wondered if she could learn their craft. On the other hand, the sushi chefs also caught Sunset's attention. When the store wasn't busy, she would often watch the chefs work and ask questions, which they were more than happy to answer.

Since it was the lunch rush hour, Sunset put those thoughts aside and made sure to wear her best smile. As the hostess, she was the first person people saw when they walked in and she wanted to make a good impression. If the customers were happy, they were more likely to come back, which made her boss happy, and would give Sunset a raise, which made Sunset happy.

When she first came to the human world, Sunset realized she would need a source of income to support herself. She applied at many different places, but the sushi store was the one that hired her. Sunset also recognized that she would have to put on her happy façade and work hard so she wouldn't be fired. Balancing this against her school persona and ambitions never bothered Sunset Shimmer, but as time went on, the lines began to blur together. She had become used to wearing different masks for different functions. After the Fall Formal and a rainbow friendship laser to the face, Sunset Shimmer had to come to terms with the fact she wasn't sure who she truly was anymore. Was she still the angry and bitter unicorn who only cared about getting her way? Was she the quiet, unsure young woman who got caught up in her own ambition? After all this time, she still wasn't sure, but Sunset knew that all she could do was continue moving forward and not let her past dictate her future.

The lunch rush died down and Sunset was able to take a short break. Sunset Shimmer wasn't real big on eating meat, but she had developed a liking for sushi. Her favorite was _nigirizushi_ with tuna, but she wasn't above a good California or Alaska roll. She sat in the back and enjoyed a few pieces while her thoughts drifted. "I can see why that Agent Smith would be interested in Hildr, but why all the cloak and dagger stuff? Seems like someone is taking the whole secret agent thing too seriously," Sunset mumbled to herself. "And his story doesn't exactly add up. What are they waiting for? Are they that concerned about our magic?"

Sunset put her sushi tray aside and looked down at her hands. She could feel the spark of magic deep inside herself, like a glowing ember. Sunset concentrated on that spark and focused the energy in her hands. After a moment of concentration, the ember became a small flame and a red aura surrounded her hands. Tentatively, she reached up and was relived to find she hadn't sprouted pony ears. "I guess just focusing on my magic doesn't cause that reaction," she said. Sunset closed her eyes and pulled the energy from her hands back into her spark. "I should look into this later." By now her break was over and Sunset went back out to the dining area.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully and Sunset Shimmer checked the schedule before leaving. She was quite pleased to have tomorrow off. The forecast was predicting favorable weather. "Might have to go for a ride," Sunset said with a smile. She changed back into her riding clothes and walked out to her motorcycle. "Hey Sunset, wait up!" Rainbow Dash called out.

Sunset stopped and waited for the girl with rainbow colored hair to catch up. Rainbow Dash, unsurprisingly, worked at the sporting goods store in the mall. She'd helped Sunset pick out shoes from time to time. "You off work too?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Yep," Sunset replied with a nod. "I don't have to work tomorrow, so I was thinking about going for a ride."

Rainbow Dash grinned from ear to ear. "Yes! I like this plan!" Her eyes gleamed as she added, "How about we make it interesting?"

Sunset Shimmer was intrigued. She crossed her arms and leaned against her bike. "Oh? In what way?"

"Meet at school in the morning. First one to leave a Canterlot High pennant at Crystal Prep and make it back to school wins!" Rainbow Dash suggested.

Sunset tapped her chin with her finger and thought about Rainbow Dash's proposal. "I dunno. Crystal Prep is so far away."

"I know! That's why this is such a good idea!" Rainbow Dash said.

Sunset gave a little smirk. "But what about the police?"

Rainbow Dash rubbed her hands together gleefully. "They can't catch what they can't see."

Sunset smiled and shook her head. "Sorry Dash, I'm gonna have to decline for now. I just want to take it easy for a few days."

Rainbow Dash's face fell and she was clearly disappointed. "Yeah, I suppose." She stuck her hands in her pockets and kicked at the ground. "I got some things I need to do anyway, like tinker with my bike to make it go even faster."

Sunset waggled her eyebrows at her friend. "I'm surprised you still ride your bike, when you can just run around everywhere."

Rainbow Dash grinned and rubbed her head. "Yeah that's true. Even with my super speed, I still like to ride my bike. It's like I'm addicted to speed and things that go really fast or something."

Sunset chuckled. "Really? I never would have guessed." Growing serious, Sunset stepped forward and placed her hand on Rainbow Dash's shoulder. "Listen Dash. I'm not going to tell you not to experiment and use your powers, but be careful okay?"

Rainbow Dash started to laugh, but stopped when she saw the serious look Sunset Shimmer was giving her. "I know. But people at school already know and by now, most of the town does too."

"It's not them that I'm worried about," Sunset Shimmer mumbled. Rainbow Dash frowned. "Sunset? Is everything okay?"

Sunset Shimmer sighed. "For now yes, but I don't expect things will stay that way." She looked up and stared her friend in the eyes. "If anything happens, let me and the others know okay?"

Rainbow Dash nodded. "I will. Besides, what can happen? We have magic and I'm awesome!" Sunset Shimmer rolled her eyes as Rainbow Dash walked to her own bike, which was painted bright red with rainbows streaking down the sides. While Sunset Shimmer's bike was essentially a street legal racing bike, Rainbow Dash's motorcycle was known as a streetfighter, which is a stripped down sport bike optimized for speed and handling. Rainbow Dash had done some tinkering to make her bike even faster. Sunset Shimmer watched as Rainbow Dash mounted her bike and sped off in a squeal of smoke and rubber. She sighed and shook her head.

Sunset Shimmer took her time going home and enjoyed the ride. She thought about what to do on her day off. She wasn't lying to Rainbow Dash when she said she wanted to relax. What she planned to do was experiment with her magic. Sunset was already going through which exercises to try.

Sunset Shimmer pulled into the parking lot for her apartment and parked her bike. She shut off the engine and stopped. Something felt…off. She frowned and looked around. Nothing appeared to be out of place, but a feeling in the back of her mind left her on edge. Sunset Shimmer cautiously dismounted her bike and carefully walked up to her apartment. The feeling didn't diminish and if she had to guess, it only got stronger, like she was being watched.

Sunset Shimmer unlocked her door and carefully pushed it open. The only thing that greeted her was her darkened apartment. She slowly put her helmet down and picked up the baseball bat she kept by the door. She then walked through her apartment with the bat cocked and ready. After her initial walkthrough revealed nothing, Sunset Shimmer then turned on all the lights and went through everything again, looking for anything that was out of place. Her temper started to rise and her patience started to wane through the whole ordeal. When she had walked through the living room for the tenth time, Sunset Shimmer let out a frustrated growl and flung the bat into her couch. "What is wrong with me? Why am I so paranoid?" she shouted to no one in particular.

She stormed over to her refrigerator, yanked open the door and pulled out her water bottle. Sunset then stomped back to her couch and flopped down onto the cushions. "And to think today was going so well," she muttered. She took a long pull on the bottle and tried to focus her thoughts. "Is it because the last time I came home I was met by those government agent hacks?" Sunset looked around. "Just because I haven't found anything yet doesn't mean they didn't leave anything behind." This only made her angrier and she glared at all the suspected hidden cameras. "Thanks a lot you guys!" she called out, "You've turned me into a paranoid nut job!"

Deciding to focus on something else, Sunset turned her attention to her plan for tomorrow and reached for a notebook. She then started to write down everything she could remember about her study of magic and its application. The time flew by as she searched her memories and the pages began to fill up with her scribbles.

 _Magic is an energy inherent to the planet that all ponies have the ability to manifest and utilize. Earth ponies and Pegasus ponies use their magic in a more passive nature. For Earth ponies, this means growing crops and interacting with nature, and for the Pegasus ponies, this means flight, cloudwalking and weather manipulation. Unicorns take a more active approach in using magic, most commonly in the form of telepathy for manipulating objects. Also, a pony's special talent will also dictate their use of magic. In the case of Princess Twilight Sparkle, her special talent_ IS _magic and therefore, she possesses vast magical potential._

Sunset Shimmer frowned as she looked over her notes. "It's easy to see why Princess Celestia chose Twilight as her student," she said, suddenly feeling depressed. Sunset put her notebook aside and buried her face in her hands. "Did Celestia see the same potential in me?" she wondered. "How was Twilight able to succeed where I failed?" A black hole formed in her core and her stomach jumped to her throat. "How long did Celestia wait before taking Twilight as her student? Did she even care?" Sunset vigorously rubbed her face in attempt to drive these thoughts away. "Does Celestia see my time as a failure? Is that why she took such a different approach with Twilight?"

Sunset looked at the clock and realized how late it was. Certainly not feeling very motivated any more, she decided to go to bed. She stared at her reflection while brushing out her hair. The girl in the mirror seemed rather melancholic, as if thoughts of the past were percolating unwanted through her mind. Sunset stopped what she was doing and leaned in closer to the mirror. "Do you think it was supposed to turn out like this?" she asked and placed her hand on the mirror. "Can I go back? Would they even _want_ me back?"

Sunset Shimmer sighed. "I should just get rid of this mirror. After all, it was a mirror that started me down this path in the first place." She gave a small chuckle. "Of course, I can't exactly blame what happened only on a magic mirror. It showed me a possible future and I was blinded by my own ego and ambition." She pulled her hand away and looked into her own eyes. "What do you see in there? Regret? Resignation? Fear? Hope? Failure? All of the above? None of the above?"

Sunset tore her gaze away from the reflective surface and stared down in her lap. "Sometimes, I can't bear to look at my own reflection. What does that say about me?" She turned away and saw her journal sitting on the night stand. "At least one person still believes in me." Sunset narrowed her eyes and turned back to the mirror. She rose to her feet and leaned forward until her head was nearly touching the mirror. "People will never let you forget the person/pony you used to be or the things you've done. So why should you? Forgive, but never forget. You are a strong and independent young woman. Stand up, brush yourself off, accept your past, and keep moving toward the future." She made a fist and pressed it firmly to the mirror. "Figure out what you want and take it with your own two hands." Sunset Shimmer smiled. "But within reason, yeah? That's what your friends are for, to encourage you when you feel down and keep you in check when you get too full of yourself."

Sunset leaned back and stretched. "Better get to bed. I've got a full day planned and I'm excited to see what happens." She turned out the lights and curled up in bed. Before long, she was asleep.

* * *

 _Your most Royal Highness, Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship,_

 _Ha! I can see you rolling your eyes from here! I know the fancy titles annoy you and I can't help it. It's fun to laugh and make fun of your friends._

 _Listen Twilight. I know we've talked about this before, but sometimes it's hard to not think about the past and feel completely overwhelmed by it. Make no mistake, I was a terrible pony and I said and did some unspeakable things. Sometimes I feel like what I did could never be forgiven and I shouldn't bother trying. The humans have a saying, and I forget exactly how it goes, but it basically means that perhaps the purpose of your life is to serve as an example of what not to do for others. Is that the final lesson that I taught to Princess Celestia? How not to raise a pupil?_

 _Now that I think about it, I really can't hold a candle to the Sun Princess. How much guilt do you think she harbors deep inside? I mean, she banished her own sister to the Moon! And every time she saw it, do you think the Moon reminded her of what happened? And then to deal with that for a thousand years! And that's probably the tip of the iceberg of things Celestia regrets._

 _Twilight, I know you're a princess and royalty now, but I know for a fact that you aren't perfect. Do you have any regrets? Deep down in the dark places of your soul, is there anything that you wish you could change? If given the chance, is there anything that you would go back in time to change, to prevent from happening?_

 _I'm sure you know that relationships are messy. People are messy, and imperfect, and because of that, there are misunderstandings and others are hurt. So why do we put ourselves through that? What is it that drives us to undertake such masochistic behavior? Maybe it's ingrained so deep in our psyche, the need to interact with others, that we are willing to take that chance. But if that's the case, do we even have a choice in this matter? Are we predisposed as ponies and people to interact with others? Fate? I don't believe in fate. I think people use it as an excuse not to go out and take their destiny in their own two hands. To me, there is nothing more satisfying than working hard and seeing your desires come to fruition._

 _I'm sorry for all the deep intellectualism, but I've been thinking about these things recently. What is the true meaning of friendship? Can it be possible to trust someone so completely, that you are essentially giving them your heart? Isn't love just a deeper and truer meaning of friendship? What does that mean? The act of giving yourself to another and laying bare your very soul is both thrilling and terrifying at the same time. Sometimes I wonder if I will ever find that._

 _On a somewhat lighter note, I'm going to start training with my magic. I think I remember most of the beginner stuff, but any help you can give past that would be greatly appreciated. Since magic here isn't as strong as it is there, I'm not expecting overwhelming results at first. If I can recover at least a small portion of my former abilities, I will count that as a success._

 _And Twilight? I know this isn't exactly a face to face conversation, but thanks for listening. I feel like you're the only one I can talk to about these things. You know, since we're magical ponies and all._

 _Always yours,_

 _Sunset Shimmer_


	6. Little by Little

To the surprise of no one, the tower that Hildr had seen in the distance was deceptively far away. Since she had no idea of where it was or how far away it was, Hildr simply kept her Sparrow pointed in the general direction and tried to keep it in sight. The path she had taken from the top of the cliff soon wound through narrow canyons of rock and bronze colored lattice work. All the while, Hildr noticed there was no sign of any Vex activity. She started to wonder if she was the only living thing on the whole continent.

The sun started to set and she was no closer to her goal. "Perhaps we should find a place to stop for the night," Raven suggested. Hildr ignored him and continued onward. Finally, it became too dark to see and Hildr hopped off her sparrow. Raven appeared and turned on his light. "Well now what? I don't want to say I told you so, but we'll pretend I did," he said.

Hildr looked around and from what she could see, the walls of the canyon weren't terribly steep and had ledges and steppes cut into them. Up above, several stars poked through the clouds. While Hildr was contemplating her next move, Raven put the sparrow back in storage. "What are you thinking about?" he asked.

"I am thinking that I could get a better view from up there," Hildr said and pointed up. Raven looked where she was pointing and sighed. "How about I just float my way up there, have a look around and take some scans?" he suggested. Hildr crossed her arms and shrugged. Raven hummed to himself as he made his way up the canyon wall. His light grew fainter and fainter until it disappeared over the edge, leaving Hildr alone in the darkness. Hildr took her helmet off and listened carefully. Normally, there would be some background noise from wind, wildlife, small insects, but there was nothing. In fact, the canyon seemed to act as an insulator. As her ears became accustomed to the silence, the sound of her own breathing and heartbeat became deafening. The rest of her senses became hypersensitive in attempt to make up for the lack of hearing. The overall atmosphere was very disturbing. Her mind naturally craved for some kind of auditory input and with the lack thereof, a cold tingle walked up her spine. A sudden dizziness came over her and she had to sit down.

Hildr huffed to herself and tried to focus her thoughts on something other than the uncomfortable isolation. At the very least her Light burned like a raging fire inside her. If this was to be her end, she would meet it with her head held high and no regrets in her heart.

Hildr vigorously shook her head. What was with those kinds of thoughts? There was nothing out here and that was the problem. And no regrets? Ha! Hildr had plenty of regrets, but she refused to let them hold her back. But she was curious. What was it about this place that played games with her mind? Perhaps she was simply overthinking everything.

Normally the sound of Raven floating around was never noticed, but with her hearing strained to the limit, he sounded like a hurricane and it startled Hildr. Raven jumped back in surprise. "Whoa. A bit jumpy are we?"

"Not really. It's really quiet and my hearing is super sensitive right now," Hildr said with a sigh and rose to her feet. "What did you see up there?"

"To be honest, not very much. Even for the Vex, this place is a wasteland," Raven said. "But you'll be pleased to know that the tower is up ahead, maybe half a mile as the Ghost flies."

Hildr put her hands on her hips and glared at her Ghost. "So how far is it as the Guardian walks?" Raven's points twisted around his eye in a nervous fashion. "Um, yes?"

Hildr rolled her eyes. "So which way is it?" she asked.

"It's still in the general direction you were heading," Raven said, "But while I was up above, I saw that this canyon doesn't go that far. Either you climb to the top as you said, or I simply call the ship down, transmat you aboard, and then it will be about half a mile as the Guardian flies."

Hildr thought for a moment and nodded. "Okay. We'll do that then." A shadow soon fell over her and Hildr looked up and saw her ship hovering above. Raven transmatted her onboard and a quick flight later, Hildr was at the base of the tower. It was perhaps the size of a four story building with a series of spires sticking out of the top. From her current location, Hildr couldn't see a way in. She frowned and let out a frustrated breath.

"What are you looking for?" Raven asked.

"Right now, a way inside," Hildr said. She pulled out her pulse rifle and started to walk around the tower.

"Okay, I kinda figured that. What are you looking for inside?" Raven asked.

"Hopefully a conflux or some kind of information center to find a conflux," Hildr said. Raven considered this. "I suppose that makes sense."

Hildr walked all the way around the tower, but didn't see an entrance at the ground level. However, the sides of the tower had different layers, providing a series of makeshift steps. About half way up, she noticed an area that had a darker shadow than the rest. "Do you see that area?" she asked.

Raven squinted his eye. "I think so. Looks like it might be an entrance of some kind."

"I was thinking the same thing," Hildr replied. She then planned her route up the tower and started climbing. Using her Glide ability, Hildr deftly made her way up the tower. Raven took the time to look around. "I bet this would look a lot more impressive in the daytime," he said. "Also, don't look down."

After a few close calls, Hildr arrived at the opening she saw from the ground. "If you would please," she said and Raven floated forward, lighting the way. The narrow entryway opened up into a larger room. Off to the side was a ramp that lead to the upper levels. With Raven leading the way, Hildr walked up the ramp.

Normally, Vex structures were lit from within and there was always some kind of background noise. Not so. Like everything else she had seen so far, this place felt dead, almost tomb-like. "What do you think happened to make everything like this?" Raven asked. He was periodically looking around and taking scans. Hildr walked carefully behind and had her shotgun in her hands and ready to go. "I don't know, but whatever happened, it was certainly effective," Hildr said.

By now, Hildr guessed they were close to the top of the tower. She walked up the ramp into a large dead-end chamber, however there was a hole in the roof. Hildr looked up and could see the stars and some clouds overhead. Carefully timing her jump, Hildr used her Glide ability to emerge through the opening. The top of the tower was about the same size as the room below with a perimeter wall about waist high. In each corner was a long, jagged piece of metal that probably served as some kind of antenna. As she looked around, Hildr noticed a Vex portal off to one side. Unfortunately, it was dead. Hildr turned her attention outwards. From this height, she could see the path she had taken to get here, along with other paths that branched in different directions. Behind her, the narrow canyon opened up into a wide throughway. The moon was just over the horizon and cast a pale glow across everything.

"Hildr? I think I found something," Raven called out. HIldr jumped back down through the hole and made her way to where Raven was shining his light. "What is that?" she asked.

"I'm not sure. Some kind of Vex data storage?" Raven wondered. The object in question was a dark blue-green colored orb, about the size of a basketball. The surface was very shiny and it looked to be made of glass, but was also pitted and chipped in some places, suggesting it had been exposed to the elements for many years. A bronze colored metal ring circled the globe with patterns etched into the surface that reminded Hildr of solder connections on a computer board. The whole thing was supported by a metal base that seemed to grow out of the floor. Raven floated around the thing while taking scans.

Hildr searched her memory to see if she had any recollection of such a thing, but nothing came to mind. She stowed her shotgun over her shoulder and removed her glove. "I'm going to touch it and see what happens," she said.

"Um, okay," Raven replied hesitantly. "My initial scans haven't revealed anything, but for the record, I don't think this is a very good idea."

"Noted," Hildr said and slowly reached out with her hand. Her fingertips brushed the smooth surface and she held her breath. When nothing happened, Hildr pressed forward until her whole hand was firmly on the orb. "Hmm. Nothing. Perhaps it is dead," she said.

Raven made a sound, like he was letting out a sigh of relief. "I don't know why I expected anything different," he said.

Hildr frowned and looked at her Ghost. "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked.

"What I mean is, normally in situations like this, the lights suddenly come on, the intruder alarm blares loudly, and the security devices engage. It usually doesn't end well for the interlopers," Raven said.

"You've been watching too many heist movies," Hildr scoffed. She pulled her hand away and put her glove back on. "Keep scanning and see what you can find. I'm going back up to take a look." Raven grumbled to himself as he returned to scanning the orb, while Hildr jumped back through the hole in the roof. She went back to the portal and looked it over very carefully. It didn't seem like it was too badly damaged and the only wear and tear appeared to be from exposure to the elements. Hildr supposed that its location also had something to do with its good condition. From what she could remember, Vex portals required a power source, but Hildr didn't find one on top of the tower. If anything, it was down inside and power was routed up.

Hildr hopped up on the wall and sat down, her feet dangling out in space. Going over what she had seen and learned, she started to put together a hypothesis of what happened. The first and most obvious was that humans had colonized this world. Although she didn't have actual proof yet, Hildr strongly believed a colony ship from Earth came to this planet. There was also the idea that these weren't actual humans, but aliens that closely resembled humans in shape and function, however Hildr decided the possibility of this was quite low.

The second fact was the humans managed to build a highly advanced civilization, if their buildings and city ruins were any indication. Hildr wondered if this was the work of SIVA and shuddered at the thought. She hoped that if that was the case, the SIVA was long dormant or even destroyed. The thought of SIVA brought back difficult memories for Hildr, ones she would very much like to forget.

SIVA. A self-replicating nanotechnology developed by the Clovis Bray research institution, back during the Golden Age of Earth. It was believed that by utilizing SIVA, the colonists could inhabit new worlds and quickly build a civilization. The records had long been lost, but it was thought that SIVA worked by breaking down and reshaping matter, using a series of command codes, or directives. During the Collapse, SIVA was thought to have been lost. Hildr sincerely wished it had been.

Hildr shook her head to try and clear her mind. Dwelling on the past did her no good here. All she had was her mission, and she would do everything in her power to see it carried out. But first, she had to find a way to activate the Vex portals.

Back to her hypothesis. The Vex had arrived. How and why was anyone's guess. Despite all this time, the Vex were still a mystery. Osiris had driven himself mad trying to learn the secrets of the Vex. What hope did the rest of them have? In any case, the Vex were here and started doing their Vex thing. Clearly, this brought them into conflict with the humans. Based on historical data, the Vex should have steamrolled this planet and converted it into one of their machines. So what changed?

The wind picked up and pulled at her robes. Hildr jumped down from her perch, deciding it wouldn't be a good idea to get blown off the edge. She pulled out a pair of binoculars and scanned the horizon. Since it was still nighttime, there wasn't a whole lot she could see, however something did catch her eye. Off in the distance, she could make out another tower. Hildr zoomed in as best as she could, but the tower was just a fuzzy blur at best. A cloud moved out of the way and the light of the moon reflected off of something shiny. Hildr continued her search of the horizon, but when she looked back, the tower was gone.

Hildr frowned. Had she simply overlooked it? She stared at the spot she thought she had seen the other tower and searched very carefully with the binoculars, hoping that the reflection would give it away. Unfortunately, the clouds moved in and covered the area in shadow.

A low growl escaped from Hildr's throat. She was certain she had seen something out there. How could she miss it? This whole area mostly flat and had very little in the way of hills or mountains. Hildr made a mental note to investigate the area in question.

Just then, Raven spoke up. "I think you should see this." Once again, Hildr jumped down into the chamber below. "What?" she asked.

"I finally managed to decipher what this is," Raven said.

"And?" Hildr asked impatiently.

"This is a storage node on the Vex network," Raven said.

Hildr crossed her arms and asked, "How does that help us?"

Raven turned to Hildr, shining his light in her face. She winced and put her hands up. "Hey! Watch it!"

"Oh! Sorry," Raven said and quickly looked away. "Like I was saying, I believe the Vex use these to store information, like filing cabinets."

"And did you find out what is in this particular node?" Hildr asked, her voice raising.

"Yes, yes, please calm down," Raven said. "From what I was able to find, this tower served as a forward outpost. Here, the Vex recorded observations of the human cities and military movements."

Hildr thought over Raven's words. "Is there any indication of what killed everything?" she asked.

"The nearest I could find was mention of a strange power, completely unknown to the Vex," Raven said. "After that, the data is either missing or corrupted."

Hildr began to pace while she thought. "If this was just a forward base, there must be a central hub the Vex used. Can you find it?"

Raven spun his points, the equivalent of a shrug. "I suppose. Shouldn't be too difficult."

"Well get on it then!" Hildr replied curtly. Raven sighed and turned back to the orb. Hildr sat down in the corner, suddenly feeling very tired. She pulled her helmet off and breathed in the cool night air. How long had she been stuck on this planet? Actually, stuck isn't the right word. Marooned? Stranded? Side-tracked. How long had she been side-tracked on this planet? Three days now? But before that, how long had she spent in the Vex network? Time meant nothing to them. It could have been days, months, even dozens of years. And in that time, Hildr hadn't allowed herself time to stop. She hadn't been sleeping very well or eating much. She couldn't allow herself to stop moving. If she did, even for a moment, questions and doubts would creep in and infect her thoughts.

Hildr shook her head and sighed. As a medical professional, she knew the importance of proper rest and taking care of her body, but she couldn't find it in herself to care. Lost in her own thoughts, she didn't know Raven was talking to her until he nudged her cheek. "Hey. I found something that might be important," he said.

Hildr blinked and wiped her eyes. "Like what?" she asked.

"Are you familiar with the Citadel on Venus?" Raven asked.

Hildr stared at him. "You found something similar here?" Raven nodded. "It's located near the center of the Vex infestation and as such, I believe we'll be able to find the answers we need there."

Hildr nodded in reply. "So Raven, based on everything we've found so far, what do you think happened to the Vex here?"

Raven looked around the room. "I honestly don't know. For there to be this much devastation, it's almost like the Traveler used its power directly."

"But why would that be the case?" Hildr argued. "What is the only difference between this planet and our Earth?"

"What are you getting at?" Raven asked. Hildr rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Besides us and the Vex, who or what else has been in contact with this planet?"

Raven's points spun around faster and faster as he thought. Hildr was certain he was going to fry all his processors when he stopped and focused on Hildr. "It's Sunset, isn't it," he said.

Hildr nodded. "Not her specifically, but her kind. The ponies."

Raven floated down until he was eyelevel with his Guardian. "But how is that possible? Sunset Shimmer is the only one, isn't she?"

Hildr shrugged. "Remember, she came here through a magic portal. Who's to say there weren't others before her?" Hildr then cast her gaze to the Vex storage node. "It's only a guess, but it's the best one I have at the moment. I think that at some point, ponies came here from their world and used their magic on the Vex."

Raven considered what Hildr was saying. "I suppose that would explain the 'strange power' the record describes," he said. "But can you imagine what kind of power it would take to do all this? If that's true, these ponies are more dangerous than we thought."

"I never considered them an actual danger," Hildr said. "From what Sunset Shimmer has said, it sounds like the magic the ponies use is virtually non-existent here."

Raven hummed quietly to himself. "So what do you think we should do?"

"For now, I don't want to do anything, but I suppose we should go find this planet's Citadel and investigate," Hildr said.

Raven flited about nervously and said, "I think we should check in with Sunset Shimmer and make sure nothing has happened to her."

Hildr frowned. "Why should I do that?" she asked.

"Because it's the decent thing to do," Raven argued. "She got hurt because of us. She's involved in this because of us. She, her friends, and everyone else on this planet have no defense against the Vex. We have a responsibility to see this through and keep them safe."

Hildr scoffed. "You barely know her. Why would you even say such things? It's her own fault for getting involved. No one asked her to get involved in the first place. Whatever blame you assign me must also be placed on her."

"And how could she not get involved?" Raven shot back, raising his voice. "You are right. We don't know her very well, but from what I have seen, she is smart, strong willed, and willing to sacrifice herself for the people she cares about." His voice lowered and he added, "She reminds me a lot of you."

Hildr sighed. "Maybe once, but not anymore." She stared off into the distance for a moment before adding, "Were you able to get the location of the Citadel?"

"Like I said, yes," Raven said. "Based on what we know from Venus, it shouldn't be hard to find." Hildr nodded and rest her head against the wall. "I just want to rest a bit, then we can head back to Canterlot City. Were you able to find any more signal beacons?"

At this, Raven jumped back. "Actually, I haven't been looking," he admitted.

"Well it's not like you'd be able to find anything about it in the Vex records," Hildr said. "Whoever set those up, did it recently. If I had to guess, probably within the last ten years or so."

"How do you figure?" Raven asked.

Hildr shrugged. "Just a hunch. The technology needed for such a thing is pretty advanced, more advanced than what I've seen from this planet so far. That says secret government research and funding to me."

Raven nodded in agreement. "That is a good point. Plus, there's no telling how long the government or whoever has been hiding all of this."

"Well it's not for us to find out," Hildr groaned as she readjusted her position.

"Do you want the overnight kit?" Raven asked. Hildr shook her head and closed her eyes. Raven settled nearby and watched his Guardian sleep. Based on his calculations, the sun would be up soon anyway.

* * *

The alarm went off and Sunset Shimmer quickly turned it off. She lay in bed for a moment while her body struggled to wake up. She then remembered what she had planned for the day and her eyes went wide and she shot up. In her hurry to get up, Sunset's legs became tangled in her blanket and she fell to the floor in an unglamorous heap.

"Oof," Sunset winced and rubbed her head. "And a perfect 10 for the epic dismount." She untangled herself and quickly got dressed. She grabbed her backpack as she ran down stairs and stuffed several notebooks, pens, and her journal inside. Sunset then went to her makeshift kitchen and put together a small lunch. Before heading out, she checked the terrarium by the window. "Hey little guy. I'll be gone for a while, so be good okay?" she said. The yellow and black spotted lizard gave Sunset a lazy look and went back to sunning itself. Sunset placed a small jar of food in the corner, grabbed her helmet and headed out the door.

As her name implied, Sunset Shimmer was not a morning person, however she was willing to make the occasional exception. Like when she had big plans for the day. Smiling to herself, Sunset walked briskly through the parking lot to her motorcycle. Once she was ready, Sunset hopped on and took off.

Sunset turned onto the main road and headed out of town. Her destination was Everfree Forest. The first reason was that it was away from the city where she wouldn't be noticed, however it wasn't the townspeople she was worried about. Her hope was those shady government guys wouldn't find her. The second reason was arbitrary at best. Back in pony Equestria, Everfree Forest was a wild and chaotic place that didn't adhere to the normal pony ways. It also housed many strange and dangerous animals. Sunset Shimmer doubted the same was true for this Everfree Forest. The last reason was purely personal. Sunset Shimmer simply wanted to get away from the city for a while.

Everfree Forest was also the home of Camp Everfree, where Sunset Shimmer and her friends had spent a week earlier in the summer. The camp, however, was several hours away from Canterlot, and Sunset Shimmer had no desire to travel quite that far. There were many other trails and campsites that would suit her needs.

Sunset quickly left the city behind and cracked the throttle open on her motorcycle. The engine responded almost instantly, and the speedometer quickly reached triple digits. Sunset could hear the wind whistling through her helmet and tugging at her clothes. She then slowed to a more reasonable speed and leaned back while balancing carefully, and stretched her arms wide. The pure joy she felt made her want to shout at the top of her lungs. It was for moments like this that Sunset Shimmer had her motorcycle, and it made her feel like a young filly again.

Sunset took control of her motorcycle and turned off the main road. She followed this side road for a while and arrived at a small parking lot. At the far end was a large board that displayed the different trails and campsites. Sunset parked her bike, locked it up, and briefly consulted the map. When she was satisfied, she set off down the trail.

It wasn't quite mid-morning yet and the air was still crisp. The wind whispered through the trees, adding to the sounds of animals and insects. The trail was well maintained, so Sunset Shimmer had no difficulty walking while admiring the wilderness. Among the many regrets she had from her time in Equestria was she never took the time to go out and simply enjoy the outdoors. She had been so focused on her studies, she considered many things as distractions. Sunset sighed and her face fell. In the time since the Fall Formal, Sunset had made sure that she would let herself enjoy the little things in life.

Before long, the trail ended at a small campsite. A wooden table sat next to a fire pit and a hand pump for water. Sunset put her backpack on the table and pulled out her books and notebooks. A tall tree stood nearby and looked particularly inviting, so Sunset sat on a rock near its base. She opened her notebook and read over her notes. "The first step is to focus on the latent magical potential inside and bring it forth."

Sunset Shimmer closed her eyes and concentrated on her breathing. Slowly, the sounds of the forest faded away and was replaced by the _thump thump_ of her heartbeat. Deep inside herself, Sunset found the tiny ember that was her magic. She imagined reaching out and embracing it with her hands. The ember fanned to life and became a small flame. Sunset felt a surge of warmth through her body that felt very familiar.

Sunset opened her eyes and saw a red aura surrounding her body. She reached up and felt the pony ears on her head and noticed her red and gold hair had grown in length. "Hmm. Step one complete I guess," she said. Sunset knew that she wouldn't be able to perform many of the spells or abilities she was used to, so she decided to focus on her primary skills: object manipulation and pyromancy.

Sunset frowned. Twilight Sparkle's primary ability was using her magic to move objects and she was becoming quite good at it, as she proved during the incident at camp. But that shouldn't mean that Sunset couldn't do it too.

She held a pen in her hand and concentrated. Just like that time with the rocks, she imagined a thread of magic reaching out and grasping the pen. A faint red aura appeared around the pen. Sunset let out a quick breath and focused her magic on lifting the pen. Very slowly, the pen started to twitch in her hand and then raised in the air. Sunset smiled as a bead of sweat trickled down her face. Once she was sure the pen was stable, Sunset turned to a new page in her notebook and held it out in her lap. The red aura around the pen was stronger now as it floated down to the page and Sunset began writing.

She started simple, writing the alphabet in lowercase, then uppercase. The letters were shaky and misshapen, but Sunset expected that. It was to be expected that her skills would deteriorate with disuse. Sunset filled the page with the alphabet and numbers. On the next page, Sunset attempted cursive letters. After this, she filled a page with her name, in regular and cursive letters.

Sunset decided to take a short break and look over her notes. The letters were still rough and uneven, but she was pleased with her progress. It would take some time and a lot of practice to write fluently, but Sunset was more pleased with the act itself.

The sun was higher now and the heat was starting to become noticeable. Sunset wiped her face with a handkerchief and drank some water. "This is a bit more strenuous than I thought," she sighed. Feeling better, Sunset put her notebook and pen aside and pulled out a small rubber ball. She grabbed it with her magic and held it up to her face. She then levitated the ball up in the air as high as she could. It kept going and going until her control started to falter. Sunset then released the ball and caught it as it fell to the ground. She repeated this process, but sent the ball out, not up. This time, her reach was a bit further before it dropped.

"Not bad," Sunset said to herself as she made a note in her notebook. Sunset retrieved the ball and pulled out a second. She levitated both balls in the air to work on manipulating multiple objects. First she sent one up and down and the other side to side. Before long Sunset was tracing complex shapes and patterns with the balls.

Satisfied with her object manipulation, Sunset decided to work on her pyromancy. As a little filly, Sunset's first magic was creation and manipulation of fire, hence why her cutie mark was a little sun. During her time as Celestia's student, Sunset practiced and mastered other types of magic, but fire was her strongest.

Fire itself was both simple and complicated. Simple because it was easy to do, but the action itself was more complicated. To create fire, you needed air, fuel, heat, and the right chemical reaction. If any of these things were even the tiniest bit out of balance, fire would not happen. Because of this, the hardest thing to do was create fire out of thin air. Sunset decided to start out a bit easier, so she simply picked up a twig from the ground. With the twig as the fuel and air all around, all she needed was heat and a chemical reaction.

Sunset focused on the end of the twig and it began to glow red from her aura. Using her magic, she began to gather air molecules and vibrate them rapidly, creating heat. All she needed to do was heat up the small twig until it reached its ignition point. Sunset had spent many hours learning, studying and testing the ignition points of various materials, to the dismay of the castle staff. As such, Sunset knew that in the current conditions and the type of wood, she would need to generate a temperature of at least 600 degrees Fahrenheit to auto ignite the wood.

Sunset willed her magic to create fire. Barely noticeable at first, the end of the twig began to discolor. Soon, a little wisp of smoke appeared and began to curl skyward. Sunset started to feel giddy, but forced herself to concentrate. Just when she thought she was going to go cross eyed, a tiny flame appeared and quickly grew.

"YES!" Sunset shouted and threw her hands up in elation. She had done it! She had created fire! In her exuberance, the twig slipped out of her grasp and flew across the campground. Gasping at her mistake, Sunset ran to the small fire and quickly stamped it out. She emptied her water bottle over it just to be safe. "Rule number one: safety first!" Sunset scolded herself.

Emboldened by her success, Sunset picked up a small branch and repeated the process. Like with the pen, practice and repetition increased her confidence and ability. She wasn't anywhere near where she used to be, but Sunset was pleased with her progress. "Now that I have that part figured out, let's try something else," she said.

What she wanted to do was much harder than lighting things on fire. Now she would attempt to create fire out of thin air. Normally, this would be impossible because air is mostly nitrogen, and nitrogen isn't flammable. Oxygen itself isn't flammable, but acts as an oxidizer which makes things easier to burn. Fortunately, Sunset Shimmer had something called "magic."

Sunset held up her hand and focused her magic in her palm. Just like the twig and the branch, Sunset used her magic to vibrate and heat up the air molecules. In place of fuel, Sunset increased the amount of magic, and with a bit of trial and error, a small flame burst to life. Sunset waved her hand and the fire disappeared. "That's one way to do it, but there must be a faster way," she mused.

Sunset went back to the table and started flipping through her notebooks. "Hmm. I'm not sure there is a more efficient way," she said with a frown. "Normally I would use the inherent magic of Equestira to bolster my own, but since this world has no natural magic, I guess I'll just have to practice until I can summon the flames instantly."

Sunset looked up at the sky and saw it was now late afternoon. "Gosh. I didn't realize it was this late already. Time flies when you're having fun I guess." She gathered her notebooks and began writing down her notes and observations while eating her lunch. Using one's innate magic expended a lot of energy and because of this, unicorns and pegasi who overexert themselves would suffer from magic fatigue.

Overall, Sunset was pleased with how the day had turned out. With a bit more practice, she was certain she would be able to utilize her pyromancy in a more active role. As she was cleaning up and gathering her things, a shadow appeared overhead. Sunset looked up and saw Hildr's ship hovering above the trees. With a flash of light, the Guardian herself appeared before Sunset Shimmer. Hildr wasn't wearing her helmet and Sunset could see the fatigue on her face. "Hey. Is everything okay?"

HIldr shook her head. "We need to talk."

Frowning, Sunset sat at the table and indicated to the seat across from her. "Uh sure. Please sit. You look tired."

Hildr's ship flew off and Hildr joined Sunset at the table. "Sunset, are you the only one of your kind who has come through the portal?" she asked.

Sunset was taken aback. "As far as I know. However, a long time ago, a group of malevolent spirits known as Sirens were banished from Equestria and sent through the mirror. No one had any idea they would end up here," she said.

"And those are the only ones? You and these sirens?" Hildr insisted.

"As far as I know, yes. To get a better answer, I'd have to ask Princess Twilight or someone from the other side," Sunset said. She leaned forward and peered carefully at Hildr. "What happened? What's this all about?"

Hildr sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "Remember the other day when I took you to space?"

"Yes. That was really cool by the way," Sunset said.

Hildr ignored her and continued. "I noticed other large landforms while we were in space, so I went to investigate. I know you're not from this world, but what I found was very startling and could have lasting consequences for this place."

Sunset was growing impatient. "So what was it? How bad could it possibly be?"

Hildr narrowed her eyes. "On the continent across the sea to the east, I found the remains of an advanced human civilization and evidence of Vex terraforming," she said.

It took a minute for the news to sink in, and Sunset's eyes grew wide in shock. "What?"

"It's exactly as she said," Raven said, appearing over Hildr's shoulder. "All the signs point to the fact that some time ago, humans settled this planet, built a highly advanced civilization, and it was destroyed by the Vex. But what we can't figure out is what stopped the Vex. Also, we found evidence that either the government or some very powerful people are keeping this information a secret."

The gears in Sunset's mind started spinning in overdrive as they tried to find traction to form a coherent thought. How could any of this be? Finally a thought took hold and Sunset blurted out, "But didn't you say that the Vex were a time traveling army of killer robots? Aren't you having difficulty with them back where you come from?"

"That is correct," Hildr said. "We found no live Vex or active Vex technology. A very powerful force ended them and stopped their progress in an instant." She snapped her fingers for effect.

"But if you can't even do that, who can?" Sunset asked.

Hildr folded her hands and leaned across the table. "This is why I was asking if you were the only one to come here from your Equestria," she said.

Sunset finally realized what Hildr was saying. "You think one of us, a pony I mean, came here and stopped the Vex?" She shook her head. "That's impossible. There's no spell that I know of powerful enough to do something like that. And even if there were, there's no pony in existence who could even pull it off. Except…" Sunset gasped and put her hands to her face. "That can't be, can it?"

Hildr stared intently at Sunset, who slowly rose to her feet and started to pace. "Clearly you have an idea," Hildr said.

"I…I do, but I don't want to believe it," Sunset stammered. "There's only two ponies in all of Equestria that could perform a spell that powerful. Starswirl the Bearded, and Princess Celestia."

"And who are they?" Hildr asked.

"Starswirl was a unicorn, one of the most famous and powerful unicorns that ever lived. He was instrumental in the founding of Equestria and he invented the majority of the spells ponies use today. He trained Princess Celestia and Princess Luna in magic, and he was the one who invented the portal mirror," Sunset explained. "And Princess Celestia, well, she's the ruler of all Equestria and is responsible for raising and lowering the sun. She even banished her sister, Princess Luna, to the moon with the Elements of Harmony."

Hildr nodded. "I see."

Sunset turned to face Hildr. "I get why this might be important, but what does it have to do with now? You said the Vex are defeated and gone right? Shouldn't that be good enough?"

"You're right. That would be good enough, except I need a Vex portal so I can finish my mission," Hildr said. "And I can't do that because all of the Vex technology is broken and doesn't work! Do you see the problem here?"

Sunset thought for a moment and nodded. "I think so. And based what happened when you came here, if you do manage to activate a portal, there's a chance the Vex will find out and attempt to come back here." Hildr nodded in agreement.

Just then, Sunset's journal started to glow and vibrate. Raven noticed and said, "Um, not to interrupt or anything, but what does that mean?" Hildr and Sunset turned their attention to the journal. "Princess Twilight is sending a message!" Sunset said. She grabbed the book and opened it to the right page. Her eyes quickly scanned the text and she gasped. "Twilight wants me to come to Equestria!" She slowly looked up at Hildr and added, "And she wants you to come with me."

* * *

 _Dear Twilight,_

 _Today was quite productive. For the first time in a while, I feel like I have a purpose, a goal to work towards and strive for. Since there is no natural magic here in this world, and my own magic is somewhat limited, there is very little I can actually do to train my magic. But the way I see it, since I have a natural affinity for fire and pyromancy, that shouldn't be a big deal for me, along with telekinesis. My "Empathy Touch," as I call it is pretty passive, so I don't think I need to actually train that ability._

 _I tell you Twilight, it was hard work and will continue to be so. Using telekinesis and pyromancy was like working old muscles you never use and made me feel like a filly all over again. I'd forgotten what it felt like to practice my magic, and the thrill of having your sweat and hard work finally pay off. Even the simplest of spells felt like a cause for celebration. It made me realize that I had forgotten they joy and wonder of practicing magic. Perhaps if I had held on to that and not become so jaded, I might not have ended up like I did._

 _But that's neither here nor there. I was quite surprise to hear you wanted to see me. And to bring Hildr too? I am both excited and nervous for this trip. Excited to visit Equestria again, and nervous for what the purpose is. I imagine it has something to do with Hildr and the Vex. I don't know if I've said this before, but Hildr is a …complicated person. I don't think she'll react well to a pony bouncing up and down, asking a million questions all at once. And by that I mean you, Twilight._

 _In any case, I have to prepare for the trip since I don't know how long we'll be. I'll take a few vacation days from my job, just in case._

 _See you soon,_

 _Sunset Shimmer._


	7. Welcome to Equestira Redux

Hildr met Sunset Shimmer back at her house. By now the sun was setting and the first evening stars were starting to appear. Sunset went inside, checked on her pet, and went to the kitchen. Hildr had changed out of her normal armor and stood in the center of the living room, looking around. She noticed that things were slightly out of place from the last time she was there. "Did something happen?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" Sunset called out.

Hildr slowly walked around, tracing her fingers across the walls and furniture. "It looks like you have done some redecorating," she said.

Sunset re-appeared, holding a tray in her hands and a frown on her face. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it," she said.

Hildr stared at Sunset, who started to shrink under her stony gaze. "Stop it. That's not fair you know," she mumbled.

"What. Happened. To you?" Hildr asked evenly.

Sunset Shimmer put the tray down and narrowed her eyes. "Why do you care? I'm just a distraction to you, remember?"

The corner of Hildr's lip curled in a snarl. "You're right. Why would I care?" Hildr quickly stepped forward and pointed her finger in Sunset's face. "Because you are still my patient and I'll be damned if anyone forces me to spend any more of my time fixing something that shouldn't be broken in the first place!"

Sunset Shimmer was stunned. "You…you really think that?" she stammered.

Hildr folded her arms and looked away. "I treated you, therefore you are now my responsibility."

"But, like you said, it's your fault I got hurt in the first place. Isn't this just you owning up to your mistakes?" Sunset asked.

"Fine! If you won't answer my question, I'll just figure it out on my own!" HIldr shouted. "Based on what I've seen so far, you were visited by some shady government officials, weren't you?"

Sunset could only nod her head and Hildr continued. "So they grabbed you up, took you to an undisclosed facility, and asked you some questions. What did they ask you about?"

"Well, you," Sunset replied.

Hildr continued to scowl. "Of course they did! They probably threatened you and your friends too, correct?"

"Yeah," Sunset said. "They told me they'd been watching ever since the stuff at the Fall Formal and the only reason I haven't been locked up yet is because they don't think I'm a threat."

"Ha! Like I believe that!" Hildr said.

Sunset frowned. "Which part?"

"The government doesn't think you're a threat, what else?" Hildr said. "Anyway, they brought you back here when they were done and ever since, you've been paranoid that they've been watching you. Is this true?"

Sunset shrugged sheepishly. "Well yeah," she said. "How did you figure that all out?"

"Because while I was searching the Vex ruins, I triggered security beacon that sent a signal back here. That tells me that some very important people want to keep what I've seen a secret," Hidr said.

Sunset nodded her head in agreement. "You said that before and it makes sense. What I can't figure out is why would they try and hide something like that?"

"Probably to prevent panic and a complete loss of faith in the government by the people," Hildr said. "I've seen situations like this before and they never end well." She vigorously rubbed her face and sighed. "Now then. Is there anything else you'd like to say?"

"About what?" Sunset asked. "You've pretty much figured it all out by now." Hildr grumbled to herself and sat down heavily on the couch. "So. You were practicing your magic? How did that go?"

Sunset picked up the tray and put it down on the table. HIldr saw it contained a large bowl of salad with fixings and dressing. Sunset took a bowl for herself and offered another to Hildr, who accepted it reluctantly. "I think it went very well," Sunset said as she scooped lettuce into her bowl. "It's kind of like exercising muscles you hardly use, so it will take some time and a lot of practice. Even then, I'll be nowhere near where I was before I came here."

Hildr nodded absently and put food in her own bowl. "Tell me how this magic works," she said.

Sunset chewed slowly and thought about how to explain magic. "Back in Equestria, there are two basic types of magic," she said. "There is magic that ponies have naturally, and the magic of Equestria itself."

"What's the difference?" Hildr asked.

"Well for one, Equestira has vastly more magical reserves than ponies do," Sunset said. "There are three types of ponies, technically four, and each utilizes magic differently. Normal ponies with no horn or wings are called Earth ponies. Their magic is more passive in nature and gives them a unique connection to the land. Therefore, Earth ponies tend to have great physical strength and care for crops and other animals."

"So Pegasai use their magic for flight?" Hildr asked and Sunset nodded. "Partially. Pegasai are generally tasked with weather manipulation by moving clouds, creating wind, and operate a factory for producing snow. Pegasai also have the ability to stand and walk on clouds."

"I see," Hildr replied.

"Naturally, Unicorn ponies are a bit different," Sunset explained. "Unicorns are able to actively use their magic for tasks, such as spellcasting and telekinesis. As a result, most Unicorns tend to favor careers in the fine arts or other things that require delicate control. Also, a Unicorn's magic may be specialized in their particular talent. For instance, while I have learned many different kinds of magic and spells, I have an affinity for fire magic." She held out her hand and with a bit of concentration, was able to produce a small flame.

Hildr was quite impressed. "That is very interesting," she said. "But I thought you said there was no natural magic here. How are you able to do this?"

"Remember when I said I stole Princess Twilight's crown?" Sunset asked and Hildr nodded. "Princess Twilight's special talent _is_ magic and her crown contains a very powerful magical element. At least it did. Anyway, I brought it here and used it. As a result, Equestiran magic is now leaking into this world."

Hildr thought to herself as she chewed absentmindedly on a piece of lettuce. Sunset Shimmer watched her for a moment and said, "So you never told me what your magic was."

"My Light?" HIldr asked.

"Sure. If that's what you call it," Sunset replied.

"Where I come from, people who possess exceptional Light and are able to use it as a weapon are known as Guardians," Hildr said.

"But where does your Light come from? Is it something you're born with?" Sunset asked.

Hildr shrugged in reply. "There's a lot we don't know, but it is theorized that Light exists in all living things to some degree and when the Traveler appeared, it used its own Light to kick start our own."

Sunset frowned. "The Traveler? What's that?"

HIldr sighed. "It's late, I'm tired and I really don't want to get into that right now, or we will be talking for days." Sunset leaned forward, her big eyes pleading with Hildr. She glared at the eager young woman and said, "Fine. A long time ago on my Earth, we discovered the Traveler and it started a Golden Age of discovery and learning. Hundreds of years later, everything fell apart in the Collapse, and we've been trying to recover ever since. Happy now?"

"For now, but I still have many questions," Sunset said.

"Of course you do," Hildr growled. Sunset stuffed another forkful into her mouth and asked, "Can I see your Light?"

"Why?" Hildr said.

"It's only fair," Sunset argued. "I showed you mine, now you show me yours."

Hildr shook her head. "Someone could take that completely the wrong way."

Sunset frowned. "What does that mean?" Hildr waved her off, saying, "Never mind!" She held out her hand and a ball of yellow energy appeared.

Sunset Shimmer was in awe. She leaned forward and stuck out her finger. "It looks like a tiny sun," she whispered. She touched it and found it was very hot. "What is it?" she asked.

Hidr grumbled to herself. "There are three types of Light energy; Solar, Arch and Void. Guardians are able to master all three, but most have an affinity for one type or another."

"And this one is yours?" Sunset asked.

"Yes, Solar is my preference," Hildr admitted.

Sunset leaned back and could feel her own magic reacting to Hildr's Light. It felt stronger, more tangible. She wondered why that was. "Before, when you used your Light, my magic became stronger," she said.

"Is that so?" HIldr asked.

Sunset nodded and said, "I'm not sure why, but it could be that my magic and your Light are not that different. Like they are the same, but not really if that makes any sense."

Hildr pondered this. "As a medic and a Sunsinger, my abilities focus on healing others and bolstering their abilities. As far as your magic having such a positive reaction, I think that's why."

Sunset frowned. "But how do you rationalize your healing against killing things, which you seem to be very good at, by the way."

"I am a medic, and as such, I have never willingly killed another person, only in self-defense. I am shocked that you would think otherwise," Hidr said with a frown.

"Well, that's not exactly what I meant," Sunset stammered. "Sure, you may not be hurting other people, but what about the Vex? You seem more than willing to kill them."

"Because they are our enemies and will kill us all if we don't do it first," Hildr replied, her voice taking an edge. "Every Vex that I or the other Guardians kill is one less to fight against Humanity. And that's why we do any of this."

"Why? What happened?" Sunset asked.

"I told you, the Darkness came and almost wiped us out," Hildr said, raising her voice. "Ever since that time, Humanity has been fighting for its very survival. Our enemies outnumber us and would like nothing more than to erase us from existence. It's only thanks to the Traveler and the Light that Humanity hasn't gone extinct."

Sunset was taken aback and put her hands up in defense. "I'm sorry. I'm not trying to upset you or anything."

"No? Well you're doing a good job of it," Hildr replied angrily.

"But don't you have friends where you come from?" Sunset asked.

Hildr jumped to her feet, dumping her bowl on the ground. "I told you once I don't want to talk about it!" she said.

Sunset firmly put her own bowl down and also stood up. "Then what do you want to talk about?" She put her hands on her hips and her face softened. "Look. I understand that you are going through a tough time. I don't know what it's like to fight and struggle to survive. I can't even begin to understand what you are going through. But please, let me help you. I don't know the first thing about medicine, but even I know that what you are doing can't be good for you."

"You don't know the first thing about me," Hildr hissed. "How dare you stand there and claim to know what I should or shouldn't do."

"Grrrrrr!" Sunset growled and grabbed her hair with her hands. "I don't know anything about you because you won't tell me! I want to help you but you won't let me!"

"I don't need your help!" HIldr shouted. "I'm doing just fine on my own!"

Sunset leaned forward and poked Hildr in the chest. "Somehow I don't believe you. What about Raven? You depend on him don't you?"

"Raven is my Ghost. He doesn't count," Hildr shot back and slapped Sunset's hand away.

"Why are you here? Why did you abandon your home?" Sunset asked.

"I didn't abandon anyone. I don't have anyone left to abandon," Hildr said, turning away.

"Hey!" Sunset called out and grabbed Hildr's hand. Her pendant started to glow red and her eyes turned white with power. Sunset had inadvertently touched Hildr's bare skin and her Empathy Touch activated. Sunset's vision went blurry and blended together, and then she saw…

 ** _A large room with a round wooden table in the center. Large braziers stood around the room, providing illumination. Behind the table, a large hearth burned brightly and provided some measure of warmth. Several people stood around the table, hunched over a map._**

 ** _Suddenly, the large doors opened and a lone figure stomped inside. The heavy doors banged shut, sending a deep rumble through the room. All who stood around the table looked up to see the newcomer. "Ah, the Valkyrie herself has graced us with her presence," a female wearing ornate robes said with a short bow._**

 ** _"Save it, Lady Skorri. I have no times for your games," the one called Valkyrie said. The others made room as she approached the table. She took one look at the map and scowled. "So. You are going through with this plan?" she asked._**

 ** _"Yes. Out of all our options, we believe this is the best one," a man with dark skin and ornate heavy armor replied. He wore a thick fur cloak around his shoulders to ward off the chill._**

 ** _"Save your breath, Lord Saladin. You're just wasting your time otherwise," a tall, red haired female spoke up. She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. Her armor was similar to Lord Saladin's._**

 ** _Another of the group spoke up. "I know you don't agree, but this is our best chance to reclaim what we lost during the Collapse," he said. He wore robes similar to the one called Lady Skorri._**

 ** _"And what does The Tyrant have to say about that?" Valkyrie shot back. "He will not willingly give up what is his."_**

 ** _"I will talk to Rasputin. He will see reason," a low, gravely voice said._**

 ** _"The only 'reason' that Rasputin follows is 'Do what's best for Rasputin and damn the rest,'" Valkyrie argued. "The only thing Rasputin cares about is himself."_**

 ** _"Surely you don't mean that," Lord Saladin said._**

 ** _Valkyrie pounded her fist on the table. "I do! And you are foolish to think otherwise. In all this time, what has Rasputin done for us? Nothing! He has stayed silent and cared only about his own self-preservation."_**

 ** _A female standing next to Valkyrie wearing light leather armor placed her hand gently on Valkyrie's shoulder. "If not this, then what would you have us do?" she asked._**

 ** _"Forget about Rasputin and leave him to his own devices," Valkyrie said, brushing the hand off her shoulder. "And leave the past where it belongs. There is a reason we have eyes in the front of our heads and not the back and that is to look to the future and keep moving forward."_**

 ** _"My my Valkyrie, I never took you for a poet," Lady Skorri teased._**

 ** _"I am nothing of the sort," Valkyrie said firmly. She pushed away from the table and held her arms out. "If you insist on this folly, then I refuse to be a part of it."_**

 ** _"Valkyrie," Lord Saladin started, but Valkyrie cut him off. "Go. Proceed with your foolish plan. I will remain here where I am needed. I will await your return and pray that I am wrong." With that, Valkyrie stormed out._**

 ** _The scene shifted. Valkyrie was now sitting outside on a ledge that overlooked the valley below. Behind her was the towering mountain fortress of the Iron Lords, known as Felwinter Peak. Directly behind her, a fire blazed brightly in the firepit. Valkyrie ignored the cold and swirling snow. Lord Saladin and the rest of the Iron Lords had departed some time ago, and Valkyrie was meditating and holding vigil. Her stubbornness and pride wouldn't let her admit she might have been wrong, but a small part of her wondered if perhaps, she could have made a difference. But it mattered little now. She had made her decision as the others had made theirs._**

 ** _Several days passed and Valkyrie did not eat or drink anything, sustaining herself only through her connection with the Light. Periodically, the wolves that roamed the temple grounds would sit next to her and keep her company, but they never stayed long. It was as if they could sense something terrible was about to happen._**

 ** _Finally, Valkyrie heard slow footsteps crunching in the snow behind her. With a bit of difficulty, she rose from her seated position for the first time in days and tried not to wince as the blood started to flow through her limbs. Lord Saladin stood on the other side of the fire and they stared at one another. Valkyrie could see his armor was scorched and pitted with recent damage, and his fur cloak was nowhere to be seen. Valkyrie didn't even need to ask, the look of resignation on his face was all she needed. Several emotions played across her face; anger, sadness, rage, fear, but ultimately settled on a stony mask. She walked up to him until they were inches apart. "I warned you," she hissed._**

 ** _To his credit, Lord Saladin said nothing._**

 ** _"I told all of you this was a terrible idea. But what do I know? I'm just a medic. What do I know about planning and fighting battles? I'm just a healer, a barely used one at that!" Valkyrie angrily poked Saladin on the chest. "This loss is all on you, Lord Saladin. I hope you are happy!" She waved her hand around and added, "Look at this place! It is now a tomb, a monument to the folly of the Iron Lords! And as such, there is no need for me here." She gave Lord Saladin one last angry look before walking past him._**

 ** _Lord Saladin finally found his voice and asked, "Where will you go?"_**

 ** _"To the City, where I am needed," Valkyrie said. "I am a medic, and the City is sorely lacking in medical knowledge and care. Maybe my skills will be appreciated there." She turned away from Lord Saladin and walked down the mountain. She did not look back._**

Sunset Shimmer saw all of this in a split second. She finally let go of Hildr's hand and gasped. "You were there. You watched your friends die?"

Hildr glared at Sunset and angrily pulled away from her grasp. "I wasn't there. I didn't watch them, but yes. Everyone I knew died. And for what? To reclaim lost glory? Their hubris was their downfall."

Sunset collapsed back into her chair in shock. "I'm sorry," was all she managed to say. Not only did her Empathy Touch allow her to see the memories of others, but their feelings too. Sunset was overcome with feelings of rage, sorrow, and self-doubt. She took a few shaky breaths and tried to keep herself from falling apart. She was amazed how raw and jagged Hildr's emotions and memories were.

Hildr glared down at Sunset. "You had no right to invade my privacy like that," she said.

"I'm sorry," Sunset replied with a sniff. "I honestly wasn't trying to read your thoughts, but sometimes it just happens." She looked up with teary eyes and asked, "How do you do it? How do you keep going while bottling up all those memories?"

"By focusing on the future and where I want to go," HIldr replied. "The past is the past and should stay where it belongs. What good does it do to dwell on things that you can't change?"

"But isn't that what you're trying to do? Use the Vex to travel back to the past?" Sunset asked.

Hildr quickly looked to Sunset. "How would you know that?" she asked.

Sunset sighed. "After seeing your memories, it's obvious to me. You want to go back to a time before your friends died and find a way to keep that from happening."

Hildr said nothing and walked to the window. "I won't say I know how you feel, but I understand where you are coming from," Sunset said. "With everything that I've done, you think I haven't thought about going back and changing it?" Hildr continued to say nothing and Sunset continued. "It's like you said, the past is the past and it should stay there. I have come to realize that my past does not dictate my future and I will not let it hold me back from becoming a better person."

"'Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,'" Hildr said.

"What?" Sunset asked.

"It means that if you do no learn from the mistakes of the past, you are destined to repeat them," Hildr said. "Believe me, I completely understand what you are saying and I agree with you. But glossing over your mistakes and simply forgetting they happened means you never really learned anything. It is good to keep moving forward, but it is also good to look back at past success or failure and judge yourself accordingly."

"I am familiar with that quote," Sunset said.

Hildr looked down at her hands and clenched them into fists. She let out a sigh and added, "I have lived long enough to see the truth of these words."

Sunset gasped and she didn't know what to think about this new revelation. "Just how long have you been alive?" she asked.

Hildr shrugged. "I lost track a long time ago. Eventually you start remembering events, rather than dates. I was first resurrected sometime after the Collapse during a time referred to as the Dark Age. Everything was in ruins and Humanity was on the verge of extinction. There were no Guardians then, only those called The Risen. And you can probably guess what things were like during this time."

"With a name like Dark Age, it's not hard to guess," Sunset replied.

Hildr nodded slowly. "Powerful Risen banded together to form groups and many claimed the title of Warlord. There was a lot of infighting, and when you can be resurrected from death, well, there isn't a lot to stop you."

Sunset's eyes went wide. "You…you can come back to life? How?" she sputtered.

Hildr held out her hand and Raven appeared. "With the Ghosts. As long as there is sufficient Light and the Ghost is unharmed, death is simply a minor inconvenience."

Sunset struggled to process this information. Hildr was immortal? And there were others like her? This raised a whole new series of questions that Sunset wasn't sure she wanted the answers to. She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. With a sigh, she said, "I really can't process any more right now. Let's just agree to not kill each other for now and worry about the rest in the morning. Besides, we have a journey to make." Sunset pushed herself up from her chair and wearily walked up the stairs to her bedroom. Hildr could hear her moving about getting ready for bed. Before long, the light upstairs went out and all was silent.

Hildr turned off the rest of the lights and sat down on the couch. The darkness settled around her like an uncomfortable blanket and Hildr rubbed her arms. Raven appeared and settled on her shoulder. "You know, you and Sunset Shimmer are a lot alike," he said.

Hildr sighed. She was too tired and drained to argue. "Can we not do this right now?" she asked.

"Okay, but if not now, when?" Raven asked. "Sunset has brought up some good points and I happen to agree with her."

"Oh, so you think I'm a hypocrite now?" Hildr asked. "Please tell me how I preach about 'Moving forward, forget the past,' blah, blah, blah, only to turn around and come up with this crazy plan to try and change the past."

"No, I don't think you are a hypocrite, but I do think you are pushing yourself too hard on this," Raven said.

"Sunset Shimmer already nagged at me," Hildr said.

"Then you know it must be true. Aren't you supposed to be the adult here?" Raven asked.

"Fine! What do you suggest?" Hildr exasperated.

"I don't think you should stop, but I do think you shouldn't push yourself so hard," Raven said. "You've got yourself wound so tight that you're bound to break and it won't be pretty."

Hildr thought about what Raven had said. "Am I really that unlikeable?" she asked.

"Well, you can be rather firm and abrasive at times," Raven said.

Hildr closed her eyes and let out a long breath. "I can't stop. If I do, even for one second, I see their faces and the guilt and pain comes back, like I didn't do enough to stop them, or maybe I should have gone."

"And what does that cycle of thinking get you, hmm?" Raven asked.

"Nothing good, which is why I try not to think about it," HIldr said. She lay down on the couch and pulled the blanket over her. Before long, her eyes closed and she drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

By the time Sunset Shimmer woke up in the morning, Hildr had already been up for some time. Sunset quickly got dressed and went down stairs where Hildr was sitting at the computer. "Morning," Sunset offered. Hildr barely acknowledged her with a wave. Sunset frowned as she grabbed her backpack. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"Researching the latest medical procedures," Hildr said. "So far, there isn't anything I don't already know."

"Well yeah, you're from the future right? Makes sense that you would have more advanced knowledge of certain things," Sunset said. "By the way, you mentioned yesterday that you were resurrected. Were you a doctor of some kind before, or how did you get all of your medical knowledge?"

"When Guardians are first raised, they have little or no memory of their past life," Hildr said. "Raven found me in the ruins of a hospital, so I figured I must have been a doctor or nurse in my past."

"But you could have also just been visiting," Sunset pointed out and Hildr nodded in agreement. "I had considered that possibility and ultimately decided that it didn't matter. I was given a second chance at life and I made the decision to spend it trying to help others."

Sunset placed a reassuring hand on Hildr's shoulder and said, "For what it's worth, I think you've done an excellent job."

Hildr snorted and gave her a look out of the corner of her eye. "Is there anything I need to know before we go?" she asked.

"Nope," Sunset said. She thought for a minute, then reconsidered. "Well, not really. I'll tell you when we get to the portal."

As Hildr stood up, there was a knock at the door. Sunset quickly ran to the door and peeked out the window. "Quick! Go hide upstairs!" she hissed and shooed Hildr to the stairs. Curious, Hildr went up the stairs and peeked down.

Sunset put on her best smile and threw open the door. "Fluttershy! Thanks for coming on such short notice."

"Um, really it's no problem," Fluttershy said softly. She cast a quick glance inside and carefully stepped inside. "You said you had to leave for a few days. Is everything okay?"

"Yep! Everything is fine," Sunset replied. "Princess Twilight wanted me to come and visit, and it was kinda last minute, so I sort of need a pet sitter."

"Oh it's no problem at all," Fluttershy said.

"Are you sure? I feel guilty for imposing on you," Sunset said.

"Really, it's fine. This sort of thing happens all the time," Fluttershy assured her. "Most people wait until the last minute to find a pet sitter anyway, and some simply forget about them entirely! Those poor animals. I feel so bad for them."

"Yeah," Sunset said. She picked the terrarium out of the window and carefully lifted it up. "Hey little guy. Behave yourself while I'm gone, or Miss Fluttershy will have to sic Angel bunny on you."

Fluttershy giggled. "The other animals get along just fine with Ray. I'm sure there won't be any problems."

Almost reluctantly, Sunset handed the box to Fluttershy. She reached inside and gave her pet one last rub under the chin. "Please tell Princess Twilight we said hello and to come visit soon," Fluttershy said. "And let me know when you get back, I'll bring him right over."

"Okay, will do," Sunset said and waved goodbye to her demure friend. When Fluttershy was gone, Sunset shut the door and sagged to the floor. "Well. She seems nice," Hildr called out.

"She really is the sweetest person I've ever met and it makes me feel even worse when I think about what I used to put her through," Sunset said with a sigh. "Anyway, we should be going now." Hildr followed Sunset out, and after she locked the door, they set out into town.

It was still early enough that there wasn't much traffic, therefore the trip to Canterlot High School didn't take very long. Another reason for being out so early was to not garner attention when they went through the portal. Sunset checked her journal as Hildr looked the statue over. The horse itself seemed to be a different shade of white than the base it stood on. Hildr pointed this out to Sunset. "Oh. Well, the statue kinda broken during the Friendship Games and was only recently repaired. I really don't think anyone cares," Sunset said.

"I see," Hildr replied. "So how does this portal work?"

"Originally, it only opened at certain times for three days, but Princess Twilight figured out how to open it at will," Sunset said. "When Twilight wrote back yesterday, she said the portal would be open this morning and she would be waiting."

"So you just…step through it?" Hildr asked.

"Yep. But just a warning, it will feel kind weird and be a bit disorienting when you go through," Sunset said. "And you'll be a pony on the other side, so there's that."

"Great," Hildr replied shortly. "Let's get this over with then."

Sunset gave a shrug and the base of the statue rippled as she walked through. Hildr squared her shoulders and stepped confidently through.

Even though Sunset had warned her, Hildr found the experience very disorienting. Her eyes and her inner ear couldn't agree on which way was down and her vision became a kaleidoscope of color and shapes. Her stomach felt like it had switched places with her heart and the rest of her body felt like it was being pulled and twisted into unnatural shapes. Mercifully, the experience didn't last long and everything came to a spinning halt.

Sunset Shimmer was no stranger to traveling though the portal and it still made her feel a little funny. She just closed her eyes and hoped for the best. Unlike last time when she came spilling out of the mirror, Sunset kept her balance and wobbled slightly to the side. "Wh-whoa!" she cried and put her hoof out for balance. Oh. Right. Feeling a bit silly, she leaned forward and all four of her hooves contacted the ground. She then gave herself a good shake all over. After being a human for so long, being a pony again felt foreign. Suddenly remembering she wasn't alone, she turned back to the mirror in time to watch Hildr come through.

Hildr fell on the floor with a _THUD_ , but the spinning and dizziness didn't seem like it was stopping. Her body felt very strange, like something was crawling beneath her skin. She tried to push herself up with her arms, but she slipped and crashed down to the floor. None of her muscles and bones seemed to work quite right and caused her great discomfort. And on top of everything, her Light was going crazy. Hildr felt like she was burning up and being electrocuted at the same time. It was fighting with another essence and not mixing well, like oil and water. She didn't know what was going on, but figured it probably wasn't good.

Sunset's face went wide with shock. Hildr's body seemed to be glowing from within and it looked like it was having trouble keeping a solid shape. Instead of a pony, it was more of a pony-shaped…thing. The body kept bulging in strange places and making weird shapes. "It's her Light!" Sunset realized.

"Her what?" Princess Twilight Sparkle asked and Sunset Shimmer realized they weren't alone. Twilight had been waiting in the room for them to arrive and Sunset saw the look of horror and fascination on Twilight's face. Sunset ran up to Twilight and said. "Hildr's Light isn't reacting well to the magic of Equestira! That's what must be causing this!"

"How do we stop it?" Twilight asked, finally becoming serious.

"I don't know," Sunset admitted. "I don't know if we can." She carefully approached the struggling shape of Hildr and said, "Hildr? Can you hear me?" Hildr replied with loud groans and mumbles. "Hildr! Your Light is reacting to the Magic of Equestria. You need to try and find a balance," Sunset offered.

Through the haze of agony, Hildr could hear a voice speaking to her. "Sunset? Is that you?" she tried to say, but no words seemed to come out. Hildr could barely hear what was said, but she could make out the words "Light" and "Magic." Oh. Hildr finally understood. Doing her best to block out the pain, Hildr focused on the bright spark of Light within her. Normally it appeared as a bright ball of energy, but now it was fluctuating wildly. Hildr could see it was clashing with another energy. Where her Light felt more dense and compact, this new energy was lighter, like wind or flowing water. Hidr realized this must be Magic.

Hildr concentrated on her Light and imagined a pair of hands enveloping her Light and shaping it, like rolling a ball of clay. Slowly, her Light began to take shape and the pain began to ease. Normally, her Light was spread through her entire body, but Hidlr felt the need to condense it all together. As she gathered in the Light, the Magic began to take its place. Hildr's body was no longer a formless mass, but was starting to take a familiar shape. Soon, all the Light was collected and Hildr began to ease her grip. The Light was still roiling like an angry storm, but it wasn't getting out of control. The Magic had now replaced the Light and was now coursing through her body.

Hildr let out a tired sigh and opened her eyes. As they came into focus, she could see two ponies, one amber and one lavender, standing over her with worried looks. The amber one spoke with Sunset Shimmer's voice and asked, "Hildr? Are you feeling okay?"

"Does it look like I'm okay?" Hildr huffed in reply. Sunset instantly relaxed and relief flooded her face. "Thank goodness! I was terrified I had made a huge mistake bringing you here," she said.

"Hmph. It's not too late for that," Hildr said and raised her head. She immediately felt that something was off.

"Hildr? Listen to me. Your body has gone through some…pretty drastic changes, so you should probably take it easy," Sunset warned. Hildr twisted her neck around and saw her body was lying on the floor. The strange part was, she felt her head was a lot taller than her body should be. She looked back to the two ponies and made the connection in her head. "I'm a pony, aren't I," she said.

"Well, yeah," Sunset said sheepishly. Hildr looked Sunset over. "So. That is your true form?" she asked.

Sunset looked at herself and gave her tail a swish. "Yep. This is me," she said. Hildr also noticed she had a horn growing out of her head. "Hmm. Makes sense that you're a unicorn."

"Also true," Sunset said with a smile. She raised a hoof and pointed to the lavender pony. "And this here is my friend, Princess Twilight Sparkle."

"I'm very pleased to meet you," Twilight said. Hildr looked between the two. Despite the fact that Twilight was purple and Sunset was amber, there were other differences too. Twilight's neck was slightly longer and her facial features were more square and pronounced. She also had wings in addition to a horn, which took Hildr by surprise. "So. You must be the fourth kind of pony?" she asked.

Confused, Twilight looked to Sunset, who sighed and smacked her head with her hoof. "Right. I said there were four kinds of ponies, but never explained what an Alicorn was."

"Well allow me then," Twilight said. She stepped toward Hildr and said, "Alicorn ponies are the rarest of all the ponies and have the most natural magic since they embody the traits of the other three types of ponies. So I have a unicorn horn and pegasus wings." She stepped to the side and spread her wings.

Hildr merely nodded. "Am I correct to assume only the princesses are Alicorns?" she asked.

Sunset and Twilight both nodded. "Right now, there are four Alicorn princesses." Twilight frowned and added, "Well technically my baby niece is an alicorn, but we won't get into that right now."

"So how does one become an Alicorn princess?" Hildr asked. At this, Sunset's face fell and she looked away and Twilight looked at her friend sadly. "To become an Alicorn princess, one must embody the traits of all ponies and by sharing your gifts with others. And becoming a princess is earned, not just a title or position that is given. I became the Princess of Friendship because I learned what friendship truly means and to share it with others. And being a princess isn't just a one-and-done thing. I'm still learning what it means to have friendship and share it with others." Twilight placed a hoof on Sunset's shoulder and gave her a light rub.

Hildr noticed but decided not speak on it. She sighed and gathered her legs under her. "Might as well get this over with," she said and carefully stood up. Twilight and Sunset ran to her side. "Take it easy. You'll probably feel a bit strange until you get used to it," Sunset said.

At first, Hildr's hooves would slip out from under her on the tile floors, but once she got the balance right, she was able to stand up properly. Twilight and Sunset's mouths dropped open as Hildr kept rising up and up and up, until she towered over them. "Hildr! You're huge!" Sunset stammered.

Twilight was equally flummoxed. "I've never seen anything like this before," she managed to say. Hildr glared down at them and Sunset unconsciously took a step back. _Well that hasn't changed,_ she thought.

"Get me a mirror," Hildr demanded.

"Sure, sure, right over there," Twilight hurriedly pointed. Hildr looked down at her feet and glanced over to Sunset, who quickly realized what Hildr wanted. Sunset stood next to Hildr and took a step, with Hildr doing the same. Sunset took another step with Hildr following. By this method, Sunset showed Hildr the proper rhythm for normal walking. "We'll get to the other stuff later," Sunset whispered. Hildr replied with a huff and looked in the mirror. Her skin, or coat rather, was a light peach color that resembled her normal skin tone. Her mane and tail were both the same color white as her hair and her mane was even styled similarly. Hildr's eyes were still a piercing grey color that was even more pronounced due their bigger size, and she even had the bright orange eye shadow. Hildr also noticed a horn sticking out of her head. "Seems like I'm a unicorn as well," she said.

Twilight, who was looking at Hildr's flank, asked, "What does your cutie mark mean?"

"My what?" Hildr asked.

"Your cutie mark," Sunset said and showed off her own flank. "Remember? For a pony, it indicates your special talent."

HIldr maneuvered herself so she could see her rear in the mirror. Sure enough, there was a mark that consisted of a red plus sign between a pair of spread flaming wings. "Hmm. If I had to guess, the red cross is for my medic, and the wings represent my Sunsinger," Hildr said.

"Sunsinger? What's that?" Twilight asked.

Hildr hung her head and sighed. "Is it going to be like this all the time?" she asked.

"Probably," Sunset reluctantly replied.

On a sudden thought, Hildr carefully raised her right front hoof until it was in front of her face. _Okay. Focus. Just like you always do,_ she thought and called out, "Raven? Are you there?" At first, nothing happened, but then Raven appeared in a flash of light He shook himself as he tried to get his bearings. "Where are we? Did it work?" he asked.

"Yes it worked, but not without some difficulty," Hildr said. Raven turned around and got his first look at Hildr as a pony. He then flitted about, taking scans. Finally, he said, "I guess it really did work. I must say I'm quite surprised at the result."

"You and me both," HIldr said. "Did you see or feel anything when we first came through?"

Raven shook is eye no. "Just feelings of severe discomfort and your Light going crazy. How is it now?"

"Stable," HIldr said. "Provided noting crazy happens, it should stay that way."

Raven then turned to Sunset Shimmer. "Ah! You look lovely as ever," he said, earning a blush from Sunset. He then focused on Twilight Sparkle. "And you must be the Princess Twilight I keep hearing about."

Twilight could only stare in awe. "Um, is she broken?" Raven asked. He carefully hovered in front of her and took some scans.

"I think she is," Sunset chuckled. "Good job Raven."

"It's not my fault!" Raven cried. "I didn't mean to break her! I know nothing about ponies!"

Just then, the door crashed open and a tiny purple dragon with green spines came sprinting in. "Who hurt Twilight!" he demanded. He skidded to a stop and glared at everyone gathered. "No one hurts Twilight, or they have to go through me!" His anger and suspicion was quickly replaced with awe as he looked up at Hildr. "Wh-who're you?" he demanded.

"Hey Spike. Long time no see," Sunset offered.

Spike quickly glanced to Sunset. "Oh hey Sunset, how'ya been?" he asked, then pointed at Hildr and added, "Is she with you?"

Sunset rolled her eyes. "Yes, she's with me," she said.

Spike then noticed Twilight and the stupefied expression she wore on her face. "Oh. That's what you meant," he said. He waddled up to his mentor and waved his hand in her face. "Yep, she's broken. What was it this time?"

"Oh. Whew," Raven said with relief. "I was afraid I'd gone and done something terrible."

"No, she gets like this sometimes when she gets too excited and her brain can't catch up," Spike said. He then noticed Raven floating nearby and jumped back. "Gah! What are you?"

"I'm a Ghost and my name is Raven," Raven said and gave a short dip.

"A g-g-ghost? Like a d-d-dead pony?" Spike asked hesitantly.

Raven turned to look at Sunset. "Really? This is the second time now." He looked back to Spike and said, "No, I'm not the spirit of a dead person or pony or anything for that matter. A Ghost is simply what I am, and like I told Sunset Shimmer, I'm not here to hurt you."

"Oh. Well that's good I guess," Spike said. He stood up on his tippy toes and whispered in Twilight's ear. Whatever he said had an immediate effect. "WHAT! What do you mean you made quesadillas?" Her eyes were wide and she was breathing heavily. Twilight then realized where she was. She cleared her throat and held her head up in a dignified manner. "Ahem. Please ignore everything you just saw. Everything is fine."

"Right," Sunset replied, giving Twilight a sideways look. "Anyway, what was it you wanted to see me for?"

"Oh. Right," Twilight said sheepishly. "The reason I asked you both to come here is I told Princess Celestia what you said to me about the other world and she wants to meet with both of you."

At this news, Sunset Shimmer's whole body went stiff and her eyes went wide. "Princess Celestia? Wants to see…me? Us?"

* * *

 _Hey Twilight,_

 _I know it feels silly to keep writing when I can just talk to you, but this has pretty much become habit by now, and the end of the day doesn't feel right without it. Plus it gives me a chance process the events of the day and maybe think about things differently._

 _I have to be honest with you Twi, I'm scared. I'm scared of meeting Princess Celestia again. I'm scared of what she might say or do to me. I'm scared she won't even acknowledge me. I mean I know I have no reason to be, but when I think about what happened and everything since, I get so anxious that I just want to throw up everywhere. Hildr would tell me to square my shoulders and meet my fate head on since this is the path I have chosen to walk._

 _Hildr. Now that you've met her, what do you think? I know it's still early, and you haven't really had the chance to talk yet, but don't jump all over her. She can be quite terrifying when she wants to be. And the fact that she's a pony at least as tall as Princess Luna doesn't help. I have a few ideas as to why this is, but we can talk about it later._

 _Well, it's getting late now and today has been pretty interesting to say the least. It was good to see you and Spike again. You have no idea what it means to me to have you as a friend. I just hope that I don't do anything to screw it up._

 _Sleep well,_

 _Sunset Shimmer_


	8. Meeting New Ponies

The next train from Ponyville to Canterlot didn't leave until the next morning, so HIldr and Sunset stayed with Twilight at her castle. "Where exactly are we?" Sunset asked while looking around.

"Oh. After the…well…you know, Princess Celestia moved the crystal mirror to my castle, and I keep it in my library," Twilight said.

"Oh," was all Sunset could say. She looked around and saw the vast shelves of books. She wondered about in awe. "Are all of these yours?" she asked.

"Well, most of them," Twilight replied sheepishly. "My old house was the Golden Oak Library before Tirek destroyed it. Some of the books were recovered and the rest were donated from other libraries and ponies. Quite a few came from Princess Celestia in Canterlot."

"Is that how you found the journal?" Sunset asked, pointing to a particular book. The mirror itself was hooked up to a strange contraption with wires and components hooked up to it. To the side of the mirror was a leather bound book on a stand hooked up with wires that connected to the mirror."

"Yes, but I think Princess Celestia arranged for me to have it," Twilight said.

A wan smile crossed Sunset's face. "Always mysterious, that one," she muttered. Sunset slowly walked up the stairs and took note of some of the book titles. "You know, the last time I was here, I didn't get a very good look at your castle. I must say, it's pretty impressive."

"Thanks! It still feels a bit too big for just me and Spike, but it's started to feel like home," Twilight said.

Sunset grew silent as she stepped out onto the balcony. Twilight's smile faltered a bit as Sunset disappeared outside. Hildr watched all of this without saying anything. Clearly being back in Equestria was weighing heavily on Sunset's heart. She then turned to Twilight and saw the lavender alicorn was grinning from ear to ear and practically vibrating with excitement. Hildr rolled her eyes and sighed. "I take it you have questions?" she asked.

"Only if you don't mind," Twilight said. Hildr glared at the young pony and huffed. "Fine. I have a feeling this is going to take a while. Do you have anyplace we can sit?"

"Oh! Yes! Of course!" Twilight jumped in the air and zoomed out the door in a blur. Hildr rolled her eyes. Several moments passed before Twilight returned carrying two large cushions and a tray with drinks and snacks with her telekinesis. HIldr noticed the aura surrounding them was light purple. "We can do it here if you like, or we can move to a different room that's not as big," she said.

"This is fine," HIldr replied evenly. Twilight eagerly put the cushions down and set the tray on a table. "Okay!" she said, plopping down on a cushion. A notepad and pen quickly appeared. "Now, Sunset has told me a little about you. First I would like to ask, are you really from a different world than the one through the mirror?"

"Yes," Hildr replied.

"That. Is. AMAZING!" Twilight giggled. She flipped through her notes and said, "Based on what I've learned about the mirror, I theorized that it is possible to connect to other worlds besides the human one that Sunset Shimmer currently lives in." Twilight looked back to Hildr and asked, "Is Equestria the first world you've ever visited?"

"No," Hildr replied.

Twilight's eyes grew even bigger as she scribbled her notes. "Fascinating! Did you use a portal to visit these worlds?" she asked.

"No," Hildr replied.

"I see," Twilight said with a frown. "Then how did you visit these worlds?"

"A spaceship," Hidr replied.

Twilight started to write the reply, then stopped. "So far, all you've given me is one word answers," she said.

"You asked, I answered," Hildr said simply.

"But I need details!" Twilight whined. "I don't know if this will be the only chance I'll have to talk to someone like you, so I need to get all the information I can."

Hildr let out a long breath and a growl rumbled in her throat. "If that's the case, just talk to Raven," she said.

"Why?" Twilight asked.

"Because it seems I'm not giving you the answers you want and I'm starting to lose my patience with all this," Hildr said.

"Oh. I'm sorry. I'm just excited. I tend to get that way when studying new things," Twilight said. Her face fell and she sagged a little into her cushion. Hildr almost felt bad for being curt with her. "Look. Clearly I am not used to this sort of thing, so it is going to take a little time to adjust to everything," Hildr said, and wiggled her front hooves for effect.

"I see," Twilight said. She put her notes down and picked up a small treat. HIldr watched as she took a small bite, looking like someone had rained all over her parade. "So. Why does this Princess Celestia want to meet with Sunset Shimmer and I?" Hildr asked.

Twilight swallowed her bite of food and shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know. I was writing a letter to the princess to keep her updated on what was going on, when I received a reply saying she wanted to meet you."

HIldr's eyes narrowed. "Have you ever been to the human world?" she asked and Twilight nodded. "When Sunset Shimmer first stole the Element of Magic, I followed her to get it back."

"How long were you there?" Hildr asked.

"About a week, I suppose," Twilight said. "And there was this other time when the Sirens showed up and started making trouble. I went back to try and help, but Sunset Shimmer was the one who saved the day."

"And that was the last time?" Hildr asked. Twilight nodded. "I heard about the incident at the Friendship Games from Sunset. I wanted to help out, but I was a little busy at the time taking care of things here."

Hildr looked around the inside of the library. The floors and walls sparkled, as if they were made of some kind of crystal. The afternoon sun shone through the window, casting an orange glow over everything. The light reflected off the crystal surfaces, creating a dazzling display. "Is that a normal occurrence for you?"

"Is what?" Twilight asked, slightly confused.

"I haven't seen very much of your world yet, but it doesn't seem like very much happens here," HIldr said. "Just what kind of problems do you have to deal with?"

Twilight frowned. "I'm not sure what you are trying to say, but I don't think I like it. It is true that Ponyville is a quiet little town and not much excitement happens, but I have seen and dealt with things that no pony should ever have to face."

Hildr sat up straight and narrowed her gaze at Twilight. "I am not trying to diminish your accomplishments, however, I will say that the worst thing you've ever seen is a normal day for me."

At this, Twilight became angry. "How can you say that? You don't know anything about me or Equestria! If it wasn't for me, this place would have been taken over and burned to ash. Everything we've ever known would have been destroyed!"

Hildr rose to her full height and towered over Twilight Sparkle. She glared down at the young alicorn and asked evenly, "Did you not hear what I just said? I am not trying to belittle you or demean you. I simply said that whatever you have seen, I have experienced far worse."

Twilight jumped to her feet. "I refuse to be intimidated and looked down upon in my own castle!" she said angrily. "I don't care if you are bigger than me. You can't threaten me like this!"

Hldr leaned her head down until her face was inches away from Twilight's. "I am not threatening you," she said quietly. "If I were, you would know it."

Twilight flinched and took a step back. "What does that mean?"

Hildr sat back down and took a long breath. She had been in this place less than an hour and already had the inhabitants mad at her. She could feel her anger starting to rise and she tamped it back down. Hildr didn't want to cause any trouble since she wasn't familiar with her new body and didn't know if she'd be able to defend herself if things went badly. "So. I heard from Sunset that you are the Princess of Friendship. What does that mean? How does that work?"

Now Twilight was confused and it showed on her face. "What are you doing? What game are you playing?" she asked.

"I'm not playing any game," Hildr said through clenched teeth. "I am a stranger in a new land, trying to figure out how all this works. What good would it do for me to run around like a crazy person and cause trouble? That would be incredibly stupid. I don't know anything about being a pony."

"So is that what this is then?" Twilight asked, "Just some big experiment? Why are you here? What is your goal?"

HIldr sighed. "I thought Sunset Shimmer made that clear when she wrote to you in your journal."

"Well, yes, she did say some things, but I want to know why you came to the human Equestria in the first place," Twilight asked.

"It was an accident," Hildr said simply.

Twilight frowned. "What do you mean, it was an accident?"

"Instead of explaining myself dozens of times to different people, why don't I just wait until we meet with your Princess Celestia and all the other important people and explain it all at once?" Hildr asked.

Twilight thought for a moment and nodded. "I suppose that would make the most sense." She started to pout and added, "I'd still want to know about your world."

Hildr made a _hmph_ sound. "No you don't."

* * *

Sunset Shimmer put her front hooves up on the railing and sighed. Twilight's castle was located on the edge of Ponyville near the Everfree Forest. From here, she could see the land of Equestria and it looked as majestic as she remembered. Sunset sighed and rested her chin on her hooves. Everything looked the same, but everything was different. Years had passed since she left. Ponies had grown older, started families of their own, or even passed on. Did any pony remember her or what she had done?

Susnet wasn't sure how she felt about returning to Equestria. Sure, there was that one time not too long ago where she had come through to pick up a new journal from Twilight, but that didn't really count in Sunset's mind. Honestly, she didn't know what to expect. Maybe she would meet with Celestia and there would be a big, happy reunion with lots of hugging and crying and everypony forgiving everypony. Sunset shook her head to rid herself of those thoughts. What was this, some kind of sappy romance novel?

She heard footsteps behind her and saw Spike approach out of the corner of her eye. "Hey Spike," she said.

"Hi Sunset. What are you doing out here?" the baby dragon asked.

Sunset shrugged. "Just…looking…at everything," she replied.

Spike was barely tall enough to see over the railing, so he jumped up and sat next to Sunset. "You know, I've been to the human world twice now, and I don't think we've ever talked."

Sunset turned her head to look at Spike. "What are you trying to say?" she asked.

"Nothing. You looked lonely so I thought you might like someone to talk to," Spike said.

Sunset narrowed her eyes. "So you're taking pity on me then?"

"No no no, nothing like that!" Spike said quickly and waved his arms. "You just looked like you needed someone to talk to."

Sunset giggled and rubbed Spike's head with her hoof. "Relax. I'm just teasing you," she said.

Spike folded his arms and pouted. "You're just like everypony else," he grumped.

Sunset turned to look back over Equestria. "So. What would you like to talk about?" she asked.

"Oh. Well I was just wondering what living on the other side was like. I mean I've been there, but not for very long. And I was a dog," Spike said.

Sunset sighed. "It's both similar, yet very different. The most obvious of course is the whole humans and ponies thing."

"Oh. Right," Spike said.

Sunset thought about the best way to say what she was thinking. "I don't expect you to understand, but humans think and act differently than ponies do."

"In what way?" Spike asked.

"For starters, there is no magic in the human world, so they have had to make do with technology," Sunset said.

Spike nodded. "I noticed the humans have a lot of things we don't have here. Cars, electricity, indoor plumbing, and all kinds of stuff!"

"Humans can also be very violent and warlike," Sunset said. "Their history is full of conflict, mostly against each other." She saw Spike about to open his mouth, but she held up her hoof to stop him. "I think I know what you are about to say, but the things ponies have done in the past are nowhere near what the humans have done." Sunset turned to Spike and smiled. "Humans are the most interesting creatures I have come across. They are capable of both great good and terrible evil. I'm not saying that ponies aren't capable of the same, but the differences are more extreme with humans."

"Wow. That really is interesting," Spike said. He scooted himself closer to Sunset and said, "But when we were there, things didn't seem all that bad. Can the humans really be as bad as you say?"

Sunset sighed and closed her eyes. "Oh yes. I've experienced it firsthand, er, hoof rather. But you remember how I used to be right?" Spike nodded. "Well I learned what it feels like to be on the receiving side."

"What happened?" Spike asked. Sunset shook her head. "I don't really want to talk about it. Twilight knows. Maybe you should ask her."

"But I don't want to hear it from her. I want to hear it from you," Spike said. "I have no problem with hearing things from Twilight, but she makes things sound so…neat and tidy. When she tells stories, it's like she's giving a report. It's not very exciting to listen to. I know I'm not very old, but even I know stories don't always have a happy ending."

"Yeah, that's true," Sunset agreed. "I tell you what. We're probably going to be here for a few days. I don't want to talk now, but maybe later okay?"

"Okay," Spike said. He was disappointed Sunset wouldn't share her story. The look on her face said she had a lot on her mind and didn't really want to talk. Twilight sometimes got like that and Spike learned the best thing to do was simply be there. He reached over and gave Sunset a little pat on the shoulder.

Just then, they both heard a loud _CRASH_ followed by angry shouting. Spike quickly jumped down and ran inside while Sunset Shimmer gave a tired sigh. She had left Hildr alone with Twilight and could only imagine what was going on. After a moment of hesitation, she walked back inside. The sight that greeted her was quite astonishing. A table had been knocked over, spilling tea and snacks all over the floor. That was probably what caused the crashing sound. Twilight looked extremely upset and was yelling at Hildr. Hildr appeared to be ignoring her, concentrating instead on a light-blue pony with wings and a rainbow colored mane. She was lying on the floor by a bookshelf with a dazed look on her face.

"What was that all about?" Twilight shouted.

"She came at me with intent to harm. What did you expect to happen?" Hildr asked evenly.

"Certainly not that!" Twilight replied.

Sunset Shimmer sighed and rubbed her face with her hoof.

Spike ran down the stairs and up to Twilight. "What happened?" he asked.

"She attacked Rainbow Dash for no reason!" Twilight shouted and pointed at Hildr, who continued to ignore the angry alicorn. Insead, she made her way to the downed pegasus. "What do you want?" Rainbow Dash asked angrily. She tried to stand up, but collapsed as her left foreleg gave out.

"Raven, scans please," Hildr said. Raven appeared and started scanning Rainbow Dash's body. "Hey! What's it doing? Make it stop!" she insisted. She glared at Raven and tried to knock him away.

"Lie still!" HIldr hissed and stamped her hoof on the floor. The sound echoed through the library, getting everyone's attention. Satisfied, Hildr said, "Stop moving or you'll make your injury worse."

"Why should I listen to you?" Rainbow Dash asked. She managed to stand up, but winced in pain when she tried to put weight on her injured leg. Hildr rolled her eyes and growled. "Do you always ignore people who try to help you?"

"Help me? This is all your fault!" Rainbow Dash shouted.

"What happened?" Sunset asked.

Before anyone else could answer, Rainbow Dash spoke up "Well I was out doing my thing, you know, being awesome, when I remembered I had to come to the castle because I forgot I was going to talk to Twilight about a friendship thing because Scootaloo has been actin' kinda funny recently. So I came in the castle and I heard this really loud crashing sound, like KABLAMO!" She smacked her hooves together to emphasize the sound, forgetting about her injury. "So I burst in the room all, 'What happened? What happened?' And I saw Twilight on the ground with the table knocked over and stuff and YOU were standing over her!" Rainbow Dash stuck her hoof in Hildr's face. "So then I was all, 'No pony messes with my friends!' So I zoomed in to get revenge for Twilight because, no offense, she's kind of a pushover in a fight. So I came in and I was going to do this totally awesome move I saw in a movie one time." Rainbow Dash then struck an action pose. "And it totally would have worked but SOMEPONY had to just _move_ out of the way and ruin it." Rainbow Dash glared up at Hildr. "So then I was super bummed out, and the next thing I knew I was lying on the floor and books were falling on me and my leg hurt." Finished with her story, Rainbow Dash was now huffing angrily.

Sunset was taken aback. "Is that what happened?" she asked and Twilight nodded her head. "I didn't quite see what happened, but I'm pretty sure Hildr did something to Rainbow Dash."

Sunset slowly turned her gaze to Hildr, who was still standing menacingly over Rainbow Dash. At that time, Raven floated up to Hildr and said, "I'm done scanning. I can't be too sure, since pony physiology is different than a humans, but it appears she has a sprained ankle."

"Will painkiller still work?" Hildr asked.

"I believe so," Raven said. "I'd be careful about the dosage though."

"More or less you think?" HIldr asked.

"I'd start out with less, but it's just a sprain," Raven said. Hildr nodded in reply. "Right. Normal procedure then."

"Hey! I'm still right here," Rainbow Dash insisted.

"Unfortunately for me," Hildr shot back. Raven's eye blinked and Hildr's medical bag appeared on the ground.

"What was that?" Twilight shrieked. "Where did that come from? Where do you keep it?"

"Enough!" Hildr roared. She pointed at Rainbow Dash and said, "You! Lay down and stop moving!" She turned on Twilight and said, "You! Stop talking!" Spike opened his mouth to speak up for Twilight and Hildr quickly glared at him. "You. Don't even think about it." Spike's eyes went wide and he gulped nervously before hiding behind Twilight. Hildr then turned to Sunset and said, "You. Help."

"With what?" Sunset asked carefully.

"I can't properly wrap her leg with these," Hildr said, indicating to her front hooves. "And I don't know telekinesis magic."

"Oh. That's true," Sunset admitted and carefully stepped up next to Hildr. "What do I do first?" she asked.

"Open the main pouch," HIldr instructed. Sunset focused her magic and her horn started to glow bright red. Next, she imagined grasping the zipper with her magic. At first, the whole pack briefly glowed red, and after a bit of adjustment, Sunset pulled the zipper tab open. "Okay. What's next?"

"Find the elastic bandage and tape," Hildr instructed. Sunset peered inside the bag and moved things aside until she found what she was looking for and levitated them out.

"Good. Now start wrapping the leg, just above the hoof and up to the second joint there," Hildr said and pointed with her hoof. Using her telekinesis, Sunset carefully wrapped Rainbow Dash's leg. "What do I do with the rest?" she asked.

"Keep wrapping up and down and make sure you keep it tight," Hildr said. Rainbow dash watched as Sunset finished her task. She was still fuming, but her anger started cool as she sat under Hildr's withering gaze.

Once Sunset was done with the wrapping, Hildr pushed the roll of tape next to her. "Put a couple of wraps of tape at the bottom, middle, and top to keep the bandage in place," she said. As Sunset did so, Hildr looked through her bag for the pain killers. "I'm done," Sunset finally said. Hildr found the right bottle and without thinking, she reached in the bag. Her cheeks flushed when she realized what she had done. As the seconds ticked uncomfortably by, Hildr's face twisted with annoyance. Finally, she dipped her head in the bag and pulled the bottle out with her mouth. She put the bottle on the floor and said, "Take the lid off and give two pills to the pegasus."

"I have a name you know," Rainbow Dash said sourly. Sunset opened the bottle and took out two pills. "What are these?" Rainbow Dash asked uncertainly.

"Medicine to help with the pain and swelling," HIldr said. Rainbow Dash made a face and shook her head. "No way! I ain't taking any medicine."

"Or would you rather suffer the pain and aggravate your leg further?" Hildr asked. "It might look like nothing, but if you don't take proper care of your injury, you could hurt yourself even worse. And for such an _awesome_ pony as yourself, I don't think you'd want to go lame at such a young age."

"You're right, I am awesome," Rainbow Dash huffed. "But there's no way I'm taking that stupid medicine."

"Fine," Hildr growled. She went back to her bag and pointed to one of the outer pockets. "Open that," she said. Frowning, Sunset did as she was asked. "Pull those out if you would," Hildr said. Sunset reached into the pocket and pulled out the items with her magic.

One of the objects looked like a long tuning fork with a wooden handle. At the open end of the fork was a metal circle. The other object looked like some kind of plunger. "What are these?" Sunset asked.

Hildr glared at Rainbow Dash replied, "These are for stubborn ponies who won't take their medicine."

Rainbow Dash blanched slightly and said, "I don't know what that is, but I don't think I like it,"

"I agree," Twilight said. She stepped forward and placed a sympathetic wing over Rainbow Dash. "C'mon Dash. You need to take the medicine."

"But it doesn't even hurt," Rainbow Dash insisted. She walked around to prove her point, but the grimace on her face said otherwise.

Twilight looked warily at Hildr's tools. "Dash. I don't like the looks of those things, but I believe taking the medicine is for the best."

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "Ugh, this is SO uncool. If anybody finds out about this, I'll never hear the end of it." Twilight smiled and handed her a cup of tea. Rainbow Dash swallowed the pills, made a disgusted face, and quickly drank the tea. "Blegh. That was so gross."

HIldr carefully walked around Rainbow Dash and looked her over. "Stay off of your leg for the rest of the day. When you get home, put ice on it and keep it up on a pillow or something."

"But I have stuff to do today!" Rainbow Dash whined.

Hildr stopped moving and stood threateningly over Rainbow Dash, who shank under her gaze. "Are you stubborn or just stupid?" she asked.

"What?" Rainbow Dash asked uncertainly.

"Are you a fool?" Hildr asked louder.

"Um, no?" Rainbow Dash replied.

"Really? Because you certainly look like one to me," Hildr said. "Only a fool would argue with someone who is trying to help them."

"Help me? This is all your fault!" Rainbow Dash insisted. "None of this would have happened if you would have just stood there and let me show off my awesome moves!"

HIldr's mind actually went blank for a second and her mouth fell open. "I…I can't even begin to comprehend what you just said," she finally managed to say. She walked away and added, "Get out of my sight. I can only handle so much stupid in one day."

Rainbow Dash was confused. "What? What did I say?" Twilight and Sunset shared a look and Twilight shook her head. "Dash, would you expect to simply stand there and let someone attack you?"

"Of course not! That's just silly. Why would I stand there and do nothing?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"But it's okay for someone else to do nothing while you show off your 'awesome moves?'" Sunset asked.

Rainbow Dash opened her mouth to speak, but then thought carefully for a moment. "Well, I guess not," she said sheepishly.

"In any case, Hildr is right," Sunset said. "You really should go home and rest. It might not feel like much now, but if you ignore it, your leg will only get worse."

"Okay, fine," Rainbow Dash sighed. "I guess we'll talk later Twilight." She spread her wings and gave a few powerful strokes, rising into the air. "At least I don't have to walk on my leg," she said with a grin and slowly flew out of the castle.

After Rainbow Dash left, Twilight quickly turned on Hildr. "Like I was saying before, there was no need to do what you did," she said angrily. "Rainbow Dash may be a bit of a hothead, but that is no excuse to hurt her."

Sunset shook her head. "Wait. Back up. Start over at the beginning. What happened before Rainbow Dash showed up?"

"Well, we were talking and got into a bit of an argument," Twilight explained. "HIldr got up, saying she wanted to walk around a bit and stretch her legs. She slipped and knocked the table over. Of course, the tea was hot and spilled everywhere, so I ducked to avoid getting splashed. About that time, Rainbow Dash burst in the door and saw me on the floor. By that time, Hildr managed to stand up and Rainbow Dash assumed she was hurting me. Rainbow Dash, being Rainbow Dash, tried to attack Hildr in my defense. And that would have been fine, but Hildr intentionally injured my friend!"

Sunset turned to Hildr, who looked unimpressed. "She attacked me. I moved out of the way and gave her a little push is all. That was enough to send her head over heels into the bookshelf."

"Is that all?" Sunset asked. Hildr stared down at her and said. "Why would I lie? She came at me screaming bloody murder. What did you want me to do, stand there and take it like a fool?"

Sunset then turned to Twilight Sparkle, who wrinkled her face. "That's not what I say," she muttered.

Sunset sighed and said, "I think we've had enough excitement for today." She looked to the window and noticed the sun growing late in the sky. Hildr saw the pained expression in her eyes, but said nothing. Looking around, Hildr said, "I think I will take a walk outside." She turned to Twilight and said, "I apologize for what happened to your friend." With that, she walked out the door.

Twilight watched her leave. When she was gone, she turned to Sunset and said, "Now I see what you mean. I don't think I've ever met anyone like her."

Sunset stared after HIldr. "Remember, she's not from the human world or a pony for that matter. Her life is vastly different than ours, or even the humans on the other side of the mirror." Her face became sad and she looked to the floor. "She's right you know."

"In what way?" Twilight asked.

Sunset turned her gaze to Twilight, who took a step back in surprise. "Hildr has seen terrible things. The world she comes from teeters on the brink of destruction. Everyone she ever cared about is either dead or she left them behind. Hildr has no one, but her Ghost."

Twilight stared at Sunset in shock. "How do you know that?" She frowned and added, "How did you know that's what we were fighting about?"

Sunset sighed. "I accidently used my Empathy Touch and saw some of her memories. Trust me, they weren't happy. And she has told me a little about her world. And as far as your argument, I made an educated guess."

Twilight simply nodded. "You're right. We shouldn't judge someone simply based on our own life experiences. No matter how bad things get, someone always has it worse." She looked to the ground. "It was wrong of me to assume Hildr was looking down on us."

Sunset placed a sympathetic hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "Don't worry about it too much. That's just the way Hildr is."

"But I have so many questions!" Twilight whined and fell to the floor. "Where did she come from? What is it like? Did she really go to the Moon? What was the moon like? How many worlds has she visited? What were those worlds like?"

Sunset rolled her eyes. "I swear Twilight, you get worked up over the strangest things." She looked up and frowned. "Where did Hildr go?"

"She said she was going outside," Twilight said.

"I heard that, but what exactly is outside your castle?" Sunset asked.

"Well the castle is on the edge of Ponyville, near the Everfee Forest," Twilight replied.

The two ponies shared a look and their eyes grew wide. "You don't think…" Sunset started.

"I don't know, but we have to go find her!" Twilight said. They both ran out the door.

"Hey! Don't forget about me!" Spike called out and hustled to catch up.

* * *

 _Dearest Twilight Sparkle,_

 _I tried to warn you about Hildr, but some things need to be experienced in order to truly understand. Now that you have met her, what do you think? At first, I didn't like her much either, but since I've gotten to know her a little bit, my opinion is slowly changing. Granted it hasn't changed by much, but that's a start right? Anyway, I think it's best if Hildr doesn't meet any more of your friends for now. I'd hate to have a repeat with what happened to Rainbow Dash. Can you imagine what Hidlr would do to Pinkie?_

 _So far, I've noticed there are a lot more similarities between this Equestria and the human one. For starters, your Rainbow Dash is pretty much the same as mine; proud, stubborn, and doesn't always think things through. I imagine the rest of your friends are pretty much the same._

 _I had an interesting talk with Spike. I know he's still just a baby in dragon terms, but I think you are doing an excellent job raising him. He is smart, thoughtful, well-spoken, and always willing to help. You should be very proud of him. It's not my place to say, but I think it would help if maybe you didn't treat him like a child and more like an equal. He's going to grow up eventually, and the more you prepare him for that, the better off he'll be._

 _Sorry if I'm rambling a bit, but I'm still apprehensive about meeting Princess Celestia. I know she will be willing to forgive me for what I've done, but deep down, a small part of me feels like I don't deserve her forgiveness. Sometimes it's hard to keep those tiny voices in check, but that's what I have you and the others for. I know that you will look out for me and keep me in check. I only hope that I can return your kindness._

 _Today has been a long day. I'll see you in the morning._

 _Always your friend,_

 _Sunset Shimmer_


	9. Everfree

**AUTHOR NOTE:** This goes without saying, but I don't own MLP or any of the song lyrics used in this chapter.

* * *

Hildr finally found the entrance to the castle and walked outside. By now, the sun was setting and the first stars were appearing. Hildr walked a short ways from the castle and took note of her surroundings. Even in the fading light, the pastel colors were very vibrant. Hildr frowned. So far, everything in this world seemed even more cartoonish than the other world. She sighed and awkwardly sat down, calling out, "Raven?"

"Yes?" the Ghost replied, materializing in front of Hildr.

"Look around and tell me what you think," she said.

Raven took a moment to float around and take scans of the surroundings. "Interesting. I don't know if it's because of the magic this world possesses, but all of my readings are fuzzy," he said finally.

Hildr nodded to herself. "I feel the same way." She looked down at her hooves and added, "It's gotten better, but the magic in my body isn't reacting well with my Light."

"What do you think that means?" Raven asked.

"I don't know," Hildr admitted, "and I don't like not knowing what's going on with my own body."

Raven floated back to the castle and started scanning. "I'm sure you already guessed this, but the castle is made entirely out of a crystal-like substance that is infused with magic."

"Probably that friendship magic everyone seems to care about so much," Hildr grumped.

"What's wrong with that?" Raven asked.

"There's nothing inherently wrong with friendship, but to put so much importance on the bonds you share with others seems like an excuse to not grow yourself. Constantly relying on others only stunts your growth as an individual and makes you weak," Hildr said.

Raven floated back to Hildr. "There's a difference between depending on others and relying on others. And even you can admit the advantages of having allies to go with you on your journey."

Hildr glared at her Ghost. "I'm not saying you can't depend on others, but it is better to trust and believe in yourself first, and others second. Other people will constantly fail and or abandon you. The only person you can reliably trust is yourself."

"That may be true, but no one person can do all things at all times," Raven argued. "Having friends and allies means there will be someone to make up for your own shortcomings."

"I'm not disagreeing with you," Hildr growled. "All I'm saying is, it's foolish to place so much trust in others, or place so much importance on such a fragile thing like friendship."

Raven floated forward and gently nudged Hildr on the cheek. "You know, you used to have people you trusted."

"And look where that got me," Hildr replied, shaking Raven off. She then looked down at her body. "Raven, summon my armor."

"Why? I don't think it will fit," Raven replied. Hildr glared at him and replied, "Of course not, you twit. I want to make changes so it WILL fit."

"But why? You look so nice," Raven said.

"I'm practically naked," Hildr retorted.

"I've seen you naked before," Raven replied.

"Do as I say!" Hildr snapped.

With a huff, Raven summoned the pieces of Hildr's armor and they appeared on the ground. "I should have some extra armor parts and materials to make the changes," he said.

"Actually, wait a second," Hildr said.

"Now what?" Raven said with annoyance.

"I don't want to ruin my good armor in case this doesn't work. Pull out some of my spare armor," Hildr said.

"Oh. I guess that makes sense," Raven said. A flash of light later and Hildr's normal armor was replaced with spare pieces. It took some time, since Hildr couldn't really do anything herself, but Raven managed to make adjustments and craft a set of armor to fit Hildr's pony form. She wore a cloth and leather robe with chainmail sleeves that covered her front legs to her knees. The rest of her forelegs were covered with thick padded cloth and armor plate, leaving her front hooves bare. A belt tied around her waist prevented her robes from slipping and falling off her flank. She wore leather armor on her rear legs with her feet in custom metal boots that protected her lower legs. Hildr shook herself all over and walked around to get a feel for the new armor. "I think this will do for now," she said.

"It better. I did all the work you know," Raven replied. Hildr shot him a disapproving look. Finally ready, Hildr started walking down the path that lead from the castle.

By now, the sun had fully set and the moon was just above the horizon. HIldr looked up at the softly glowing orb and let her thoughts wander. "Do you suppose this moon is similar to our own?" she asked.

"In what way?" Raven asked. "Do you think there is a horde of bloodthirsty monsters hibernating below the surface, waiting to unleash hell on everything?"

"That's not quite what I meant," Hildr said. "From here it looks to be of similar size and shape to our own moon."

"Wanna go and take a look?" Raven asked and Hildr shook her head. "I don't think we have time for that. Speaking of which, I wonder why this Princess Celestia wants to meet with us."

"Probably to ask questions about where we came from and why," Raven said.

"Perhaps, but if our theory is correct, she's at least partially responsible for why none of the Vex technology works on the other world," Hildr said.

"So what are you going to do? Go up to her and say, 'Hey, miss Almighty Powerful Princess Pony of the Sun, could you possibly, maybe, undo your little spell-thingy so we can use the technology of the murderous robots to go home?' That will go over REAL well," Raven said.

Hildr stared at her Ghost and asked, "What's got you all fired up?"

Raven shrugged his points as best as he was able. "I don't know. Maybe I'm finally cracking up from having to deal with you all the time."

Hildr was unimpressed. "Really?"

"Probably, Raven suggested. Hildr rolled her eyes and shook her head.

By now, she was quite a ways from Twilight's castle and looking back, Hildr noted that it sat on the edge of a small town near a forest. Recalling an earlier conversation, she remembered this was the town of Ponyville and the forest was called Everfree. "Why do you suppose they call it Everfree Forest?" she asked.

"Who can say?" Raven said. "From what I've heard, the forest doesn't follow the rules that govern the rest of Equestria. Supposedly, the ponies find it strange and disturbing that plants grow without the care of ponies, the animals are wild, and the weather changes unpredictably."

Hildr thought for a moment. "If that's true, then the name Everfree is very fitting."

"What do you mean?" Raven asked.

"Like you say, the forest and its inhabitants exist without the oversight of the ponies, meaning it is free from their influence. Hence, 'Everfree,'" Hildr said. She noticed her current continued into the forest, and after a moment of thought, and proceeded forward.

"Wait. Where are you going?" Raven asked.

Hildr stopped at the entrance of the forest and looked upward. From here, the trees towered overhead menacingly and the branches sighed in the breeze. Despite being a forest, there was very little sound from animals. The path forward was hazy, as if the forest was revealing just enough to spark the curiosity of naïve ponies or time-traveling Guardians. Voices seemed to whisper to her, urging her forward, yet Hildr remained stubbornly put. "I can see why the ponies would be wary of this place," Hildr said.

"It certainly gives me the willies," Raven said with a shudder.

"Worse than the Hive tunnels under the Moon?" Hildr asked.

"Not quite that bad, but pretty close," Raven said. "Well, perhaps not. The Moon presents an aura of death and decay, whereas this creates a more primal reaction. I think 'unsettling' is the word I would use."

Hildr nodded in agreement. "What do you say? Shall we investigate?"

"Really? Didn't you say to Twilight that since you were a stranger, you didn't want to cause trouble here?" Raven said.

"I did say that," Hildr admitted. "So what do you recommend?"

Raven looked from Hildr, to the forest, and back again. "I think it doesn't matter what I think since you've already made up your mind. Might as well get on with it then."

Hildr stared deep into the forest as far as she was able. "Raven, summon my sword. It will probably be the only weapon I have that I will be able to use."

"And how are you going to do that?" Raven asked as the sword appeared across Hildr's back. "You don't exactly have hands to hold it with and putting it in your mouth will never work."

"At least not in a satisfactory manner," Hildr said. She pointed to the horn on her head and said, "Since I have this, I might be able to learn how to use telepathy and control it with my mind."

"Good luck with that," Raven replied, sounding unconvinced. "It's probably a lot more difficult than the unicorns say, and they've had years to practice."

"Do you have anything positive to say?" Hildr growled. "So far, all you've done is whine, complain, and offer no solutions."

"Because this is crazy!" Raven exasperated. "You've been different ever since we came here!"

"Oh? In what way?" Hildr asked.

"For starters, you want to go and explore the haunted forest that every pony we've ever met has said, 'Stay away from the scary forest!' Hunter-like behavior is very rare for you," Raven pointed out.

Hildr turned back to the forest. "As much as I hate to admit it, I don't really understand it either. I feel like there's something whispering to me and it's telling me to enter the forest." Her face twisted in frustration and she angrily stomped on the ground. "Thinking rationally, I agree with everything you've said so far. But there's something deeper inside, a more primitive or basic instinct that is telling me venture forth."

An uneasy silence settled between the Ghost and his Guardian. Finally Raven said, "Hildr, Traveler knows you drive me completely bonkers sometimes. But I've always trusted your judgement." He sighed and floated down the path, into the forest. "And since there's no arguing with a stubborn Warlock, we might as well get this over with. Who knows? Maybe we'll find something useful or important."

Hildr gave a curt nod and followed as Raven light the path with his light. As they traversed deeper into Everfree Forest, it became apparent it was indeed different than the rest of Equestria. The trees towered overhead and the thick tangle of branches blocked most of the light from the moon and stars. A layer of mist covered the ground and made the path hard to see. The forest was also strangely quiet, although Hildr could hear rustling in the bushes every now and then. Hildr made sure her armor was fastened correctly and put her helmet on. The motion tracker on her head's up display was fuzzed out, as if something was interfering with it. "My tracker's not working. Looks like we're going in blind," she said.

"I'm also not having much luck with my sensors," Raven said. "Do you think it's an effect of the strange nature of the forest?"

They continued on, carefully following the path. As they walked, HIldr's focus turned inward and she thought of the magic that now permeated her being. Thinking logically, it was similar enough to her Light that learning to use it wouldn't be much of a problem. However, Hildr remembered what Sunset had said about a pony's magic being related to their special talent. So by that line of thinking, what did Light and Magic have in common, and how could it be used for healing? Lost in thought, Hildr didn't notice Raven had stopped until she bumped into him, startling her. "What is it?" she hissed.

"I'm not exactly sure," Raven said and Hildr stepped to the side to see around him. The path through the trees opened up into a small clearing. The moon broke through and cast an eerie glow through the mist. Through the clumps of grass, Hildr saw the ground was covered with a strange blue flowers. She saw one next to her foot and bent down to investigate.

The plant itself consisted of a blue flower and stem with five to six petals and a matching number of leaves sprouting beneath the flower bulb. The entire flower wasn't very tall, maybe six to eight inches in total height. Hildr noticed the flowers grew close together in dense clumps. Unfortunately, the path was overgrown with the strange flowers.

Raven took scans of the flower and added its information to his memory banks. "This is certainly an interesting plant," he said. "The reason it is blue and not the color of most other photosynthesizing plants is likely due to the introduction of magic into its growth cycle."

"So it's a magic plant," Hildr said. "Any idea what it does?"

"I don't think it actually serves a useful purpose, but from what I can tell, it secretes an oily organic compound that might cause a mild reaction in the form of a skin rash," Raven said.

Hildr thought to herself and said, "So it's like poison ivy then?"

"Possibly," Raven said. "Like I said, it's a weird magic plant and I have no idea what will happen if you touch it."

"Better to avoid it then," Hildr said and carefully backed away from the plant.

"Unfortunately, the path is overgrown with the stuff," Raven said.

"Then we'll walk around through the tree line," HIldr said and carefully walked around the meadow, making sure to avoid the blue plant. However, the underbrush was very dense and Hildr had a hard time walking through the trees and bushes. She was thankful for her armor, otherwise she would be covered in scrapes and scratches.

After much effort, Hildr finally broke through and looked around for the path. "Raven, do you see anything?" she asked.

"Nope. Sorry. The forest is also messing with my compass and direction finding, so I'm not sure which way we need to go," Raven replied.

Hildr closed her eyes and let out a long breath, trying to calm her frustration. It wasn't Raven's fault. If anything, the blame was solely with her. Just add this current mishap to the growing list of things that have gone wrong on this little adventure.

Hildr stopped suddenly and angrily stopped her hooves on the ground. Startled, Raven whirled around and asked, "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

"No! Nothing happened!" Hildr replied curtly.

Raven slowly floated up to her and said, "Why don't I believe you?"

"I don't care if you believe me or not," Hildr said and shouldered past him.

Raven watched her go and said, "We're lost."

"I know," Hildr replied.

"The best thing to do when you're lost is to stop and wait for rescue," Raven said.

"I'm aware of that," Hildr said.

"And yet you are still moving," Raven said.

"NOT HELPING!" Hildr roared. Finally succumbing to her anger, she reared back on her hind legs and slammed the ground as hard as she could. Unfortunately, the ground cracked and gave way, dropping Hildr into an underground cavern. "Hildr!" Raven shouted and dove down the hole after her.

Hildr couldn't see anything in the dark and curled herself up into a ball as best she could to minimize her injuries. She bounced and rolled around for quite a while before she finally came to a stop, landing awkwardly on her side. When her inner ear finally told her brain she wasn't moving anymore, Hildr slowly untangled herself and took stock of her current situation. Somehow, she had punched a hole in the roof of an underground cave. Bioluminescent moss provided very little lighting and moonlight shone through the hole. Hildr looked around and saw a large pool of water in the middle of the cavern. On the far side looked to be a path that Hildr hoped led back to the surface.

"Hildr! Are you okay?" Raven asked as he zipped up to her face. Hildr glared at him and snorted. "What does it look like?" she asked.

Raven floated around her and took scans. "Looks like you just have some bumps and bruises, but otherwise you appear to be okay."

"Really? Then why does it hurt to breathe?" Hildr winced. She tried to stand up, but her legs wouldn't support her weight. "I don't know much about equine anatomy, but my ankles are numb and will probably start swelling soon."

"Oh. I guess I missed that," Raven replied sheepishly. He scanned her again, carefully this time and found what Hildr said was true. In addition, he found she also had mild internal trauma. "Sooooooooo…now what?" he asked.

Hildr simply glared at him. "Now is the part where you say, 'I told you so.'"

"Nah. I'm not going to do that. In your current state, it would just upset you even more," Raven said. He then floated off to explore the cavern. If he thought the forest was strange, this cave proved to be even more so. When they first arrived in the human Equestria, Raven had decided to label the unknown and unique energy signature as 'Magic.' Since arriving in pony Equestria, the level of background Magic greatly increased. And now in this cavern, the Magic reading was blanking the rest of Raven's sensors. He was able to determine that the pool of water was the source of Magic. Otherwise, the cavern itself was unremarkable.

While Raven was off fliting about, Hildr tried not to move very much to further aggravate her injuries, and thought about her current situation. With no hands and no way of exercising fine motor control, Hildr couldn't perform first aid on herself. She briefly considered ending her own life and having Raven resurrect her, but Hildr decided that would be an extreme last resort option.

There was an electricity in the air that seemed almost palpable. Hildr couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she figured it had to be the effect of a large concentration of Magic energy. To prove her point, Raven spoke up. "So I've been able to determine that this pool of water is a large source of Magic."

Hildr slowly pulled herself toward the water's edge and peered inside. Surprisingly, the only thing reflected was Hildr's face. The water began to ripple and the reflection changed to show Hildr's true face, but it appeared to have aged many years. Her hair color was duller and her face lined with wrinkles. What really caught Hildr off-guard were the eyes. There was no fire, no spark of life, only regret and resignation.

This made Hildr pause. What was this reflection showing her? Was it the future? Or perhaps, the water was showing Hildr her true reflection, the face that she refused to show to anyone, including herself. Behind the cold mask of stoicism and indifference was the face of a woman who had experienced much pain and suffering and as a result, was barely holding it together.

Hildr thought back to that night spent in the Vex ruins. She could tell she was getting close to her breaking point, but stubbornly refused to admit it. How long could she keep going? Hildr told herself the answer was "As long as it takes," but she was only fooling herself. Nothing was indestructible, least of all a human being. Humans can be very stubborn and willful, but that means nothing if the body starts to waste away. When was the last time she had stopped to take a break? How long had she been pushing herself? It was certainly well before that fateful day on Venus when she first entered the portal. She had convinced herself that the only way to deal with the pain was to push it away, compartmentalize it, and to keep moving forward no matter what. Hildr was afraid that if she stopped now, all of the emotions and memories she refused to deal with would come crashing down upon her.

Hildr shook her head and tried to think about other things, anything for that matter, to keep her mind off the past. Increasingly, she found it harder and harder to do so. She put up a stubborn front because that was the only way she knew to keep people from seeing the truth about her. So what if people found her cold and unlikeable. That was fine with her. She didn't need pity or false companionship. In fact, things like that angered her. That kind of sentiment was insincere, designed only for the person in question to feel good about themselves or soothe their own guilt.

A sharp, stabbing pain in her side reminded Hildr that she had injuries to attend to. Normally, her Light would protect her and quickly heal minor injuries, but the process was taking longer. Hildr shifted herself into a more comfortable position and closed her eyes to meditate.

She shifted her focus inward and was able to find the dense concentration of energy that was her Light. It was surrounded by an ethereal energy, which HIldr assumed was Magic. At first, she imagined grasping the Magic with her hands, but it slipped through her fingers like water. Slightly peeved, Hildr thought about what to do next. She took a small portion of her Light and fashioned it into a container and gathered the Magic together. Satisfied with the results, Hildr carefully poured out the Magic and put the Light back together. To her surprise, the Magic retained the shape of the container.

Now that she had the Light and Magic separated, Hildr took a close look at the Magic and realized her initial assessment of the energy wasn't quite true. While the properties of Magic were quite different from Light, the two energies could be mixed. Hildr thought back and tried to remember if Sunset Shimmer had told her anything about the particulars of using Magic, but nothing came to mind. That was fine with Hildr. She'd just figure it out on her own.

Hildr took a small amount of Light in one hand and Magic in the other. They really did seem like polar opposites. Where Light felt dense, heavy, and warm, Magic was lighter, more ethereal in nature. Hildr brought her hands together and focused on merging the energies together. At first, they fought against each other and Hildr struggled to keep them from getting out of control. Quickly growing frustrated, she growled and _willed_ the energy to mix. To her surprise, the Magic suddenly became very docile and mixed with the Light. Hildr wondered if that was the trick to controlling Magic, simply willing it to do what you want. Now that she had successfully merged the Light and Magic, Hildr wondered what to do with it.

 _Why not combine ALL of the Magic and Light together?_ The sudden thought took Hildr by surprise, but she then realized that was probably the best course of action. It probably wasn't good for her body to keep the energies separate. Hildr took a deep breath and gathered all of the Light and all of the Magic in her body and carefully brought them together. Just like before, Hildr exerted her will over the Magic and it obeyed. The combined Light and Magic felt both familiar and alien to her and Hildr let the new energy fill her being. She suddenly felt light-headed at the rush of energy and her body began to tremble. As she tried to catch her breath, Hildr wondered if she had made a mistake. She shook her head and steeled her resolve. She had made her choice and now she would live with the consequences. With her unshakeable will intact, Hildr gained control of the swirling energy within her body and she felt at ease.

Hildr finally opened her eyes. Her whole body felt tingly with electricity and her hair stood on end. This new sensation was quite different and she figured it would take a little time to get used to. Raven warily floated over to her and took scans of her body. "How do you feel?" he asked.

"Tingly," Hildr admitted. "I feel like I'm being shocked all over with a very mild current. Not enough to cause discomfort, but enough to know that something is happening."

"So another win for the mad scientist I guess," Raven said. When Hildr gave him a strange look, Raven explained. "I kept track of your vitals while you were meditating and whatever you were doing caused them to go crazy. I wasn't sure what to make of it and actually thought about bringing you out, but everything stabilized and you ended up waking up on your own."

"Sorry to worry you," Hildr replied with a sigh, and winced. Her injuries were slowly healing, but they still caused her some discomfort. "Remember what Sunset Shimmer said about Magic being related to one's special talent?" she asked.

"I believe so," Raven replied.

Hildr closed her eyes and concentrated. She didn't know the specifics or the fancy words for a spell, but she knew what she wanted her Light/Magic to do. _Let's start by fixing myself up._ Raven watched as Hildr's horn started to glow with a golden light and her face twisted in concentration. There was a bright flash and pool of swirling white energy appeared around Hildr's body. Her injuries began to rapidly heal, and in mere moments, she was good as new. The rush of energy almost took Hildr's breath away and a moment of panic flashed through her mind. After a few moments, the pool of energy disappeared, leaving Hildr panting for breath.

"Wow. What was that?" Raven asked in amazement.

"I'm not quite sure," Hildr replied.

"Do you think you could do it again?" Raven asked. Hildr nodded and closed her eyes. This time, the pool of light appeared quicker and didn't seem to place as much of a burden on Hildr. Raven quickly floated around and scanned the pool from all angles. "This…this is amazing!" he said.

"I was able to fuse my Light and Magic together to form a new energy," Hildr said. She held up a hoof and a bright ball of flame appeared. "It looks like the Magic enhances my Warlock abilities."

"Well I've never seen a warlock ability that creates pools of healing energy," Raven said.

"Then I guess I just invented a new one," Hildr said. "Light is a constant and living element. It's not surprising that new abilities will be discovered."

"At least it's a useful ability. I can only imagine the stupid or silly things Hunters would do with this," Raven said. "They never take anything seriously."

Hildr ignored her Ghost's rant about Hunters and looked herself over. Her injuries were fully healed now, but she felt like her fatigue had increased. She figured it was probably due to exerting so much effort over her new abilities. She stood up and walked around to get the blood flowing through her legs again.

"How are you feeling?" Raven asked.

"Tired," Hildr admitted. Just then, a wave of dizziness came over her and she almost fell over. "Hey! Take it easy will you?" Raven said as he zipped right up to her.

"I feel…strange," Hildr said with a frown. She walked back to the pool of water and looked at her reflection. Her hair was matted with sweat and her eyes had dark circles under them. Chills ran down her body, causing her to shiver. "I guess the Magic took more out of me than I thought," she said. Hildr lay next to the pool with Raven hovering uncertainly over her. She suddenly had the urge to do something she hadn't done in a very long time. Hildr clenched her teeth, but no matter how hard she tried to fight it, the feeling wouldn't stop. The pool began to ripple and her reflection changed back to the tired human face she had seen before. A wave of resignation washed over Hildr and she gave in.

* * *

Twilight and Sunset ran out of the castle with Spike huffing and puffing behind them, trying to keep up. Sunset quickly realized she had no idea where she was going and let Twilight take the lead. They ran down the path and quickly approached the entrance to Everfree Forest, but instead of going straight in, Twilight veered off and made a beeline for a small cottage nearby. Stopping to catch her breath, Twilight knocked on the door. "Fluttershy? It's me Twilight."

After a moment, footsteps were heard and the door cracked open, revealing a creature so strange, Sunset took a step back in surprise. It was like whichever deity had created this thing had no idea what they wanted, so the put a little of everything in a pot, turned up the burner, let everything simmer, and poured it out. He had a long, serpentine body that was covered with both fur and scales. Each of his limbs was from a different animal and the head sort of resembled an elderly pony. He wore a night cap on his head and was rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "Do you have any idea how late it is?" he chastised the two ponies.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you Discord, but we need your help," Twilight said. At this, Discord blinked his eyes in surprise and the hat disappeared with a _POOF._ "Really now. What could be of such concern that the mighty Princess of Friendship needs the help of a lowly me?" he asked.

"You…you're Discord?" Sunset stammered. Discord turned his gaze to the unicorn and cocked his head to the side. "Why yes I am. Who else would I be?" he asked. Suddenly, he was right in Sunset's face and she fell back in shock. Discord frowned and stroked his chin. "I don't believe we've met and that should be impossible since I've met everybody."

"I'm Sunset Shimmer," Sunset replied. She cast a pleading glance in Twilight's direction, hoping for some help.

With a poof of smoke, Sunset suddenly found herself being scrutinized under a very large microscope, with Discord wearing a lab coat and taking notes. "Sunset Shimmer? Where have I heard that name before?" His eyes suddenly lit up and he snapped his fingers. "Ah yes! Celestia's prodigal student!"

"Um yeah, that's me," Sunset replied dejectedly. Discord noticed this and clapped his hands together. The microscope disappeared and Sunset now found herself lying on a couch. Discord was sitting in a recliner, wearing slacks and a sweater and scribbling furiously on a notepad. "Now tell me my dear, how are you feeling?"

"What?" Sunset asked, clearly confused. Discord's antics were throwing her off and she was struggling to make sense of what was happening.

"Your feelings! As your psychologist, how can I help you if you won't open up to me?" Discord asked.

Just then, a Pegasus with pale a pale yellow coat and pink mane appeared in the doorway. "Discord, you shouldn't make such a fuss or the animals will wake up," she said.

Sunset's couch instantly disappeared and she fell on the ground. Discord jumped up and bowed deeply in apology. "I'm sorry my dear, but our guests are the cause for the commotion."

"Guests?" she asked and finally noticed Twilight and Sunset. "Twilight? What are you doing here?"

"I'm sorry to bother you Fluttershy, but we need your help," Twilight said.

"You need my help? With what?" Fluttershy asked.

"Well…Hehehehehe," Twilight rubbed her head and laughed nervously.

Sunset carefully approached they shy pegasus. "You're Fluttershy?" she asked.

Fluttershy backed away slowly from Sunset. "Um. Yes. That's me," she squeaked.

Sunset smiled and tried her best to soothe Fluttershy's nervousness. "I'm Sunset Shimmer. I'm a friend of Twilight."

"Sunset Shimmer?" Fluttershy asked. She frowned and suddenly her face lit up as she remembered where she had heard that name. She let out a small "Eep!" and ran back in the cottage. Sunset winced at Fluttershy's reaction. "I don't know why, but that kind of hurts," she said.

"Don't take it personally. My friends here haven't met you and all they know is you tried to take my crown once," Twilight said.

"Yeah. About that. I'll never live that one down, will I?" Sunset said. Twilight placed a reassuring hoof on Sunset's shoulder. "Just give it a little time and they'll warm up to you."

"But right now, you don't have time do you?" Discord asked. Both ponies jumped as he appeared behind them. "Discord! Stop doing that!" Twilight said as she tried to catch her breath.

"You have to liven things up every now and then. Otherwise everything is boring and boring isn't any fun," Discord replied with a shrug.

"So, what do you need so late at night?" Fluttershy asked, reappearing in the doorway.

"Well, the short answer is someone is lost in Everfree Forest and we need to find them," Twilight said. At this, Fluttershy stepped through the doorway, a look of concern on her face. "Oh my. Are they okay?" she asked.

"How would we know that if they're lost?" Discord asked.

"Oh. Right. Silly me," Fluttershy replied. "Who was it?"

"Oh. Um, it's…someone…you don't know," Twilight said. Fluttershy and Discord shared a look.

"Okay look. The short story is the missing person came with me through the mirror from the other world," Sunset spoke up.

"Oh. That does complicate things," Discord said.

"In what way?" Twilight asked.

"If they came from the other world, they don't know how dangerous Everfree Forest is and could be in great danger," Fluttershy said.

"Oh come now, is it really that dangerous?" Discord asked and waved his hand dismissively. "Clearly you've seen scarier things than an old haunted forest."

"That's not the point," Twilight insisted. "Sunset's friend is lost and we need to find her."

"She's not _exactly_ my friend," Sunset mumbled.

"Oh the poor thing. All alone, in the forest at night, with all the strange animals. She must be so scared and confused," Fluttershy spoke up.

"I seriously doubt that," Sunset said, but no one heard her.

"You haven't seen anyone come through here recently have you?" Twilight asked and Fluttershy shook her head. "Not at all. We were busy getting the animals ready for bed and cleaning up from supper." She then looked very guilty and stared at the ground.

"It's not your fault," Twilight assured her. "She would have only passed by here a few minutes ago anyway."

"So there's a chance she hasn't gone too far in then," Fluttershy said and Twilight nodded.

"Well that's settled then," Discord said. "Shall we go?"

The three ponies looked between themselves and made up their minds. Fluttershy went back inside the cottage to make sure the animals were settled for the night and locked the door behind her. "Um, I really don't think going into the forest at night is a good idea, but I can do my best to find your friend," Fluttershy said quietly.

Twilight swallowed nervously. "We'll be careful." The three ponies and Discord set out down the path and into the forest.

Although Twilight and Fluttershy had been in the forest multiple times before, it was still unsettling. Discord strutted boldly ahead, unconcerned with the strangeness of his surroundings. Twilight followed close behind and tried to put on a brave face. Fluttershy didn't even try and hide her fear and did her best to blend in with Twilight's tail. Sunset brought up the rear. She had never been in the forest on this side, but she had grown up hearing the stories. Parents would tell their children to behave or the Everfree Forest would send its monsters to carry them off. Sunset was almost certain that wouldn't happen. Almost.

Just then, Sunset heard footsteps rapidly approaching. She whirled around, her horn glowing red and prepared to cast a defensive spell.

"Hey! Wait you guys!" Spike called out. Sunset sighed with relief. "I'm sorry Spike. I guess we got caught up in what was happening and sort of forgot about you."

"Yeah," Spike muttered and crossed his arms. "I always get left behind."

Sunset smiled and crouched beside him. "Hop on. I'll give you a lift."

Spike's face lit up. "Really? Thanks!" He climbed on Sunset's back and gave her a pat on the shoulder. Sunset stood up and ran to catch up to the others. The mist seemed to grow thicker and after a few moments, Sunset frowned and stopped.

"Hey Sunset, why did you stop?" Spike asked.

Sunset looked around and sighed. "I hate to break it to you Spike, but I think we're lost."

Spike smacked himself on the head. "Really? Man this stinks." He crossed his arms and began to pout.

Sunset looked around, but it was hard to see through the mist and darkness. Her horn lit up and she cast an illumination spell. The mist cleared away and they were able to see where they were going. Sunset continued down the path and kept a close eye out for Twilight or Hildr.

"Hey Sunset, what's that?" Spike asked and pointed to the ground. Sunset leaned down to look and noticed several sets of hoof prints and whatever prints belonged to Discord. "I think they came through this way," Sunset said and began to follow the prints. However, a few feet later, Sunset noticed something strange about the prints. When she looked closer, she realized the prints actually led back the other direction. When she turned around, Spike asked, "Hey! Why did you turn aroud?"

"Because the hoof prints lead back in this direction," Sunset replied. She followed the prints until the path came to a small clearing. The ground was covered with small blue flowers. "The prints end here," she said.

"Sunset watch out!" Spike cried out. Startled, Sunset reared back and Spike fell on the ground. "Oof. Why did you do that?" he complained and rubbed his backside.

"Well you startled me," Sunset said and helped the small dragon to his feet. "What's wrong?"

"That blue flower. I recognize it from something that happened a while ago. It's called Poison Joke and it causes funny things to happen to you if you touch it," Spike said.

"Like what?" Sunset asked.

Spike started to giggle. "Well for one, it made Twilight's horn all floppy and wobbly. Every time she moved her head, it wiggled around like a worm!"

"Uh-huh," Sunset replied slowly. She looked back to the clearing and said, "Do you think the others might have walked through it?"

Spike shrugged. "Hard to say. If they saw it in time, they might have walked around it."

Sunset looked to either side of the path and took note of the thick underbrush. "And we would have no way of knowing if they did."

"I guess," Spike said. Sunset thought for a minute and her horn started to glow red. At first, she was hesitant about trying to use her magic after so long, but the familiar spells quickly came back to her. Sunset focused her magic and a small jet of flame appeared and the flowers began to burn.

"What are you doing Sunset? You'll burn the whole forest down!" Spike cried out.

"Relax Spike, I know what I'm doing," Sunset assured him, but Spike remained unconvinced. A pungent aroma soon filled the air and Sunset's eyes began to water from the smoke. Once the fire started to die out, Sunset cast another magic spell that created a small whirlwind that sucked up all the air, smothering the flames. Then she summoned a small cloud and drenched the area with water, putting out any remaining embers.

"Was that really necessary?" Spike asked. "We could have gone around, and if everyone did come through here, you burned up any tracks they left behind."

"Stop worrying Spike. Fires happen all the time and the flowers will grow back eventually," Sunset said and walked through the burnt clearing. Steam rose from the ground, causing the temperature to rise. It actually felt nice during the cool evening. The only problem was now Sunset and Spike were covered in soot.

"Thanks a lot Sunset. Now I need a bath," Spike groused and tried to wipe the soot off his scales, but only succeeded in making the mess worse.

Sunset stopped and thought to herself for a moment. "I wonder if this is what Hildr feels like with Raven," she mused.

"What?" Spike asked.

"Nothing! Nothing at all," Sunset replied with a smile. She did agree with Spike about needing a bath later. Sunset cast her illumination spell and continued onward.

The path became uneven and showed signs of neglect. The trees bent over the path, as if reaching for them with old bony fingers. The path became so tight, Spike had to lean over Sunset's shoulder. "Are you sure you know where you're going?" he asked.

"Nope," Sunset replied.

"Aren't you worried?" Spike asked.

"Not really," Sunset replied.

"Oh. Okay then. I guess I'll just have to be worried for the both of us," Spike said.

"What's wrong Spike?" Sunset asked.

"What isn't wrong?" Spike nearly shouted, causing Sunset to wince. "Please don't shout in my ear," she said.

"Sorry, but we're lost in Everfree Forest and it's dark out. I don't see how it could get any worse," Spike said. As if to answer his question, something in the bushes started to growl.

Sunset stared over her shoulder at Spike and she was not happy. "This is your fault," she said.

"What did I say?" Spike asked. Sunset rolled her eyes and started to run. Whatever growled at them gave chase and Sunset ran for all she was worth. She did her best to dodge the trees and rocks, but Spike's extra weight threw her off. Adrenaline coursed through her body and spurned her onward. Strangely enough, she wasn't really afraid. Everyone said Everfree Forest was unnatural and should be avoided, but Sunset had considered that a personal challenge and always wanted to explore the depths of the forest.

"Sunset! Up ahead!" Spike called out and pointed ahead to a small cave. Sunset didn't question and quickly dove inside. Whatever was chasing them got caught in the entrance and snarled angrily over the escape of its prey.

Gasping for breath, Sunset skidded to a stop and looked behind her. She couldn't tell what had been chasing them, but a pair of angry yellow eyes burned in the darkness. Perhaps emboldened by the close call, Sunset stuck out her tongue and made a face.

"Don't antagonize it Sunset! We can't stay in here forever," Spike complained.

"Well, technically we can, we just won't like it," Sunset said. Her horn lit up and she ventured deeper into the cave. To her surprise, the cave was reasonably lit with glowing moss on the walls and ceiling. "Do you know where we are?" she asked.

"Hmm. I'm not sure. There are all kinds of caves and stuff in the forest," Spike said. Sunset nodded in reply and kept walking. She also noticed the path began to slope downward, and she heard what sounded like voices. The path finally opened up into a large cavern with a large pool of water in the center. To her relief, she saw Hildr sitting next to the pool. To Sunset's surprise, Hildr was…singing?

 _"Hello from the other side  
I must have called a thousand times  
To tell you I'm sorry for everything that I've done  
But when I call you never seem to be home  
Hello from the outside  
At least I can say that I've tried  
To tell you I'm sorry for breaking your heart  
But it don't matter it clearly doesn't tear you apart anymore."_

Sunset was transfixed. Hildr's voice was very powerful and full of raw emotion. Sunset knew that Hildr came from a place that wasn't very nice, but what could have possibly happened to her that she could sing with such sorrow? It tore at Sunset's heart and she had to blink back the tears. Sunset approached carefully, not wanting to startle Hildr and upset her. Fortunately Raven noticed her appearance. "Look. It seems we have a rescue."

Hildr turned to Sunset, her face twisted with fury and angry tears running down her face. Sunset was taken aback at the display. "What happened?" she asked softly.

"I'm not sure," Raven said. "At first she was fine, but then she started to come down with some kind of illness, and the next thing I knew, Hildr started singing. For the moment, it seems she can't speak normally."

As if to prove his point, Hildr started singing again.

 _"There's a fire starting in my heart  
Reaching a fever pitch and it's bringing me out the dark  
Finally I can see you crystal clear  
Go 'head and sell me out and I'll lay your ship bare  
See how I leave with every piece of you  
Don't underestimate the things that I will do  
There's a fire starting in my heart  
Reaching a fever pitch and its bringing me out the dark."_

Sunset sat in awe throughout Hildr's song. When she was done, Sunset gently reached out to Hildr. "I don't know what's happening, but I'll do my best to help you figure it out," she said. Hildr only gave a curt nod. Sunset turned to Raven and asked, "Just how did you end up down here anyway?"

"It was right after we went traipsing through the trees to avoid the meadow of blue poison ivy-like flowers," Raven started, but Sunset quickly interrupted. "Blue flowers? What did they look like?"

Raven explained what he had seen and Spike nodded in agreement. "Yep. That sounds like the Poison Joke all right."

"Poison Joke?" Raven asked.

"Yes. Apparently it's a flower that inflicts ailments that cause others to make fun of you. For instance, it made Apple Jack super tiny and made Fluttershy talk in a really low voice," Spike said, giggling at the memory.

Sunset noticed the death glare Hildr was giving him and said, "Um Spike? I don't think now is the time to be laughing about it. Is there a cure?"

Spike realized the heavy atmosphere and quickly became serious. "Sorry. Yes there is a cure, but we'll have to go see Zecora. She lives here in the forest."

Hildr quickly jumped to her feet and Sunset asked, "Do you know the way? Can you take us there?"

"I think so. I've been there a few times, but that was during the day when I could see where I was going," Spike said.

"We should get going," Sunset said and led the way back up the path. "So how did you find us?" Raven asked.

"Actually, it was kind of an accident," Sunset admitted sheepishly. She then recounted the tale from when she and Twilight left the castle, to the current time. "Wow. Now I feel bad for getting you lost," Raven said.

"Don't worry about it. I'm just glad you're okay, relatively speaking," Sunset said. When they reached the mouth of the cave, Sunset carefully poked her head out and looked around. "Looks like the coast is clear," she said and they ventured out. "Okay Spike, which way?"

Spike jumped down from Sunset's back and walked out to look around. "Hmm. I think I recognize that funny looking tree there and that rock there." He squinted his eye and held up his hands like a frame. "If I remember what Twilight taught me about reading stars, that one points north, which means we came from that way." He mumbled to himself and started to walk in circles.

Sunset could hear Hildr starting to breathe heavily to try and fight it, but she began to sing as quietly as she could.

 _"I can't stand it I know you planned it  
But I'm gonna set it straight, this Watergate  
I can't stand rocking when I'm in here  
Because your crystal ball ain't so crystal clear  
So while you sit back and wonder why  
I got this stupid thorn in my side  
Oh my God, it's a mirage  
I'm tellin' y'all it's a sabotage"_

"I don't know if I'd call it sabotage, more like an accident," Sunset whispered back.

Just then Spike spoke up. "Hey! I think I know the way!" he said and pointed. He climbed up on Sunset's back and led them through the forest. Unfortunately, they weren't alone.

"Come on! We can outrun them!" Sunset called out and took off in a gallop. She quickly stopped when she realized Hildr wasn't following. She looked back and found Hildr walking as fast as she could and looking none too happy. "Oh. Right. You don't know about galloping or running." Sunset smacked herself on the forehead and ran back to Hildr. By now, the animals making the growling noises appeared from the trees and surrounded the two ponies. It was hard to see clearly, but the growling and overall shape and poise of the animals made it clear what they were.

"Uh oh. Timberwolves!" Spike said and started to panic.

Raven took cover behind Hildr and peeked out through her mane. "So what are they?"

"Exactly what the name suggests. Wolves made out of bits of wood," Sunset growled. Her horn flared and she took a defensive stance.

"Just hit them hard enough and they'll fall apart," Spike added, holding on to Sunset for dear life.

Hildr seemed more annoyed than anything by the whole thing. The timberwolf nearest Sunset made a sudden lunge at her, but she managed to dodge out of the way and gave it a solid kick with her hind legs. Bits of wood and bark fell off the timberwolf's body as it slid across the ground, but it remained intact. Before it could regain its footing, Sunset blasted it with her magic. Spike put his arms up to shield his face from the flying debris.

The other wolves took that as their cue and the battle was started. Sunset did her best to fend off the wolves, kicking and blasting any that got to close. Several wolves circled around Hildr, unsure of what to do. Evidently, they had never seen a pony of her size. One of them lunged at her and she quickly crushed its skull under her hoof. She then gave a look to the others, as if bored with their attempt on her life. Two more jumped at her and her horn flashed, sending out a short blast of energy. It had the added effect of creating a layer of firey armor around her body. She quickly dispatched the remaining wolves.

Sunset sighed and shook herself all over. The ground was littered with twigs and little bits of wood. She walked up to Hildr, but before she could say anything, Hildr nodded with her head. Sunset turned to look and saw the larger pieces of wood were tumbling along the ground, creating a large pile. The wood began to shake and took on a new form.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me!" Spike complained. The wood had re-formed into a new timberwolf that towered above the ponies. It's eyes lit up and let out a howl that rattled the trees and forced Sunset to cover her ears.

Inwardly, Hildr seethed. She was already angry beyond measure at her current ailment, and now this thing was standing between her and a cure. Sure it was big, but it was made of wood and she had seen Hive Ogres and Vex Hydras bigger than this thing. A small part of her said this was just an animal and it didn't know any better, but the rest of her didn't care. She reared back on her hind legs and created a large fireball with her horn. With a toss of her head, Hildr sent the fireball streaming toward the overgrown timberwolf. The fireball landed on the ground in front of the timberwolf and expanded into a large sun that quickly ignited the wood. The timberwolf reared back and Hildr tossed another fireball, turning the timberwolf into a bonfire.

Enraged, the timberwolf charged at Hildr and Sunset, scattering them to the side. Sunset blasted it with magic and earned a swipe for her trouble. She tried to dodge, but the timberwolf's paw was too large and it knocked her to the side.

Now enraged, Hildr's horn began to glow brightly and the sword on her back levitated up into the air. With a bit of effort from Hildr, the blade became wreathed with flames and she held it in front of her, ready to strike. The timberwolf let out a mighty roar and HIldr sent the flaming sword straight through its mouth. The timberwolf yelped in surprise as the sword shot out the back of its head. The sword circled back and this time, Hildr struck the ground with all of her might. The ground cracked apart and a wall of flame raced out and knocked the timberwolf to the ground. With one last cry, the timberwolf was swallowed up by the flames and broke apart, this time for good.

Sunset rose shakily to her feet and was in awe of the destruction. It seemed Hildr was always surprising her. She shook herself off and looked around for Spike. "Spike? Where are you?"

"I'm here Sunset," Spike called out. Sunset found him tangled up in a holly bush. With a bit of effort, Sunset pulled him out and they went to meet Hildr. She was breathing heavily, but Sunset wasn't sure if it was from anger or exertion. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"We're fine. How are you holding up? You took a pretty nasty hit," Raven said.

"Oh I'll be sore in the morning for sure, but otherwise I'm fine," Susnet assured him. By now Hildr's miniature suns had burned out, leaving behind chared remains. The forest was torn up pretty good from their fight. Sunset hoped the rest of the animals, such as manticores and ursa majors would leave them alone.

"Now where were we before being so rudely interrupted?" Raven asked.

"Oh. Right. This way everypony," Spike said and waved them onward. Thankfully, Spike remembered the way and they arrived at Zecora's hut without further incident. He walked right up to the door and knocked politely. "Hello? Zecora? Are you awake?" Spike asked politely.

The door opened, revealing Twilight Sparkle. Her face lit up and she nearly collapsed with relief. "Oh thank goodness you're okay! After we got separated, we came straight here, thinking you would do the same. When we heard the howling and loud noises, we didn't know what to think."

"And it never occurred to you to go and investigate?" Raven asked testily. Twilight's face fell. "We were debating whether or not to go look for you, but arrived here anyway."

"No thanks to you," Raven mumbled and Hildr shot him a glare. Twilight opened the door and they entered inside. Fluttershy was sitting in the corner with Zecora, while Discored lazed about, drinking tea.

"An ordeal you have had, this is true. Some food and rest will be good for you," Zecora said.

Sunset carefully approached the exotic zebra. "Zecora? We've never met, but I'm Sunset Shimmer. I'm sorry to bother you, but we need your help."

Zecora narrowed her eyes as she regarded Sunset, then she smiled. "Sunset Shimmer? I have heard of you. Celestia's student, once were you."

Sunset smiled painfully. "Yep. That's me."

"Relax my dear, no need to fear. No harm will come while you are here," Zecora said. She turned to Hildr and said, "A mighty warrior you must be! I humbly welcome you to Everfree."

"Thanks, I guess. Your home is certainly interesting," Raven said. Zecora's eyes went wide and she took a step back. "A floating box? And it can talk! Please forgive me if I balk."

Sunset stepped up to Zecora and said, "I don't mean to be rude, but we really need your help. I was told you had a cure for Poison Joke?"

"Yes, yes, I do indeed. I am always willing, to help those in need," Zecora said. With Twilight's help, she found the right ingredients and mixed them together. "Just how did you get into the Poison Joke?" Twilight asked.

"Well, we were walking along the path when we came upon a clearing that was full of these strange blue flowers. I thought she avoided it, but I guess we weren't as careful as we thought," Raven spoke up.

"So, um, what did it do to you?" Fluttershy asked quietly. Raven and Sunset shared an uncertain look. "I don't think that's something we need to get into," Sunset replied.

"Oh come on, how bad could it be?" Twilight asked. "At least it can't be as embarrassing as what happened to me."

"Or me," Fluttershy added.

"Seriously Twilight, now is not the time," Sunset insisted.

Twilight narrowed her eyes as she stared at Sunset. "I take it you know what it is?" After a moment of hesitation, Susnet nodded. "Oh come on! Why do you get to know and I don't?" Twilight whined. "The Poison Joke affects everypony differently. This could be important for research!"

Discord pulled out a bag of popcorn and sat back to watch the bickering. This was a golden opportunity and it wasn't even his fault! He wasn't going to let this chance go to waste. With a flick of his finger, a small thorn poked Hildr in the flank and she let out a small yelp. Unfortunately, this small crack in her armor let the Poison Joke do its work and she began to sing.

 _"Hello darkness, my old friend  
I've come to talk with you again  
Because a vision softly creeping  
Left its seeds while I was sleeping  
And the vision that was planted in my brain  
Still remains  
Within the sound of silence."_

For a few moments after she was done, no one said a word. "That. Was. AMAZING!" Twilight squealed. A notepad and pen suddenly appeared and she got right up in Hildr's face and furiously started scribbling. "So the Poison Joke makes you only talk in song lyrics? You have such a wonderful voice? Were you a famous singer back where you come from?" Twilight suddenly frowned and said, "Poison Joke normally makes you do things that people will make fun of you for. I don't really see a down side to your particular case." She went back to writing and mumbling to herself.

Sunset didn't need her Empathy Touch to feel the anger and humiliation emanating from Hildr and became anxious over what she might do when she snapped. "Hey Twilight? How about we save this for the morning. We've had a long day and everyone is tired."

"No! This has to be done now before I start forgetting things," Twilight insisted.

"Twilight. Hildr is clearly uncomfortable with this situation. You need to back off," Sunset said firmly.

"Oh please. It's not so bad. If Poison Joke affected me like that, I don't think I'd ever want the cure," Twilight flippantly.

Zecora carefully approached Hildr and said, "Please my dear, come with me. Very soon you'll be ailment free."

Zecora had set up a bath behind a privacy curtain. Raven helped Hildr remove her armor as Zecora added a pouch of ingredients and stirred them into the water. Hildr stepped into the warm water an lay down with a sigh. She closed her eyes and sighed as Zecora poured the water over her. "How are you feeling? She asked.

"Better. Thank you," HIldr replied.

"You are most welcome my dear. A job well done is good to hear," Zecora said.

Hildr wished she could stay in the bath a little longer, but she didn't want to impose on Zecora's hospitality. She stepped out of the bath and carefully shook herself dry. Zecora and Raven helped her towel off and Hildr dressed in her armor. Her decent mood was spoiled when she heard Twilight and Sunset arguing. Narrowing her eyes, Hildr stepped out. "Just a few more days, a week at the most. That's all I'm asking," Twilight said.

"I'm sorry Twilight, but I don't have that much time," Sunset said. "I have responsibilities and stuff, and my Fluttershy is pet sitting for me."

"Then Hildr can stay then," Twilight pleaded. "I have so much to talk to her about!"

"But I don't have anything more to say to you," Hildr spoke up, startling everyone. Sunset looked relieved and said, "Looks like the cure worked."

Hildr nodded and turned her angry gaze to Twilight. The atmosphere in the room suddenly turned chilly and Fluttershy tried her best to hide in the corner. Discord eagerly pulled out his popcorn and started munching away.

Twilight looked around quickly. "What do you mean you have nothing more to say to me?" she asked.

Sunset rolled her eyes and smacked herself in the head with her hoof. Hildr walked up to Twilight until she towered over her. Twilight took a step back uncertainly. "If you ask me, the Poison Joke lived up to its name," Hildr said.

"But…but nothing bad happened to you," Twilight insisted.

Hildr's eyes flared angrily. "Nothing happened you say? That was probably the most humiliated I've ever been in my entire life."

"But you sing so well," Twilight said, suddenly feeling very small. Hildr's oppressive aura had such weight that Twilight felt her legs start to buckle.

"What difference does that make?" Hildr asked, raising her voice. "I detest being the center of attention and some things are meant to be kept private. Princess of Friendship? Ha! Do you even consider the feelings of others before you thoughtlessly impose on them? Making light of the plight of others is not cute or funny, it is humiliating and cruel."

"I…I'm sorry," Twilight stammered as tears started to form in her eyes. Hildr let her gaze travel across the room before settling on Sunset, who wore a worried expression on her face. Hildr let out a huff and the anger slowly melted away, leaving her face a stony mask. She then turned and walked out of the door. When it closed, all eyes turned to Discord, who was wholly engrossed in his bag of popcorn. He stopped and his eyes went wide when he noticed everyone staring at him. "What? I had nothing to do with any of what just happened," he said with a shrug. "In this case, I think she was right. That was pretty careless of you, Twinkle-butt."

The gentle criticism from Discord was the last straw and Princess Twilight Sparkle burst into tears.

* * *

 _Listen Twilight,_

 _You are my friend and I care about you very much, but Hildr was right. You were definitely in the wrong here. I understand why you would be excited about meeting Hildr and wanting to learn all about her, but I can't emphasize this enough: she's not like us, and you can't force her to be. Hildr is a complicated person, or at least she comes across as such, and you can't expect her to just go along with whatever you say._

 _However, one thing I've learned about Hildr is she probably won't stay upset with you for very long. She has difficulty admitting or expressing her feelings, so whatever apology you get from her, just take it and be happy._

 _Sorry if this seems short and to the point, but I'm not exactly happy with you either. We'll talk in the morning._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Sunset Shimmer_


	10. A Long Awaited Meeting

Sunset Shimmer found herself standing before a set of familiar looking doors. They weren't very big or heavy, but she knew what awaited on the other side and it made her feel about two inches tall. She was tempted to just run away, but that was what started her down the path of her current journey. Sunset grimaced and tried to hold her tears in check as she remembered that fateful day when she left the palace, seemingly for good. She was angry and said a lot of hurtful things to the one pony she admired and looked up to, almost like a mother figure.

Sunset sniffed and shook her head, trying to push those thoughts aside. She had made mistakes, she had tried to atone for those mistakes, she tried to make things right. Sunset had learned much and used her experiences to grow and become a better person, er, pony. She looked up at the ornately carved wooden doors, inlaid with gold and silver. She often wondered what this moment would be like, if or when she came back to Equestria. Would Celestia welcome her back? Would she be angry? Would there be tears of happiness or tears of anger?

Sunset chuckled to herself. If Hildr were here, she would berate the young unicorn for wasting time and thinking about unnecessary things. Her mind finally made up, Sunset lifted her head up high, and with trembling hooves, pushed the doors open to meet her fate.

The throne room was different than she remembered. The biggest change was there were more stained glass windows depicting important events in Equestra's history. Sunset tried to keep her skylarking to a minimum as she walked down the red carpet to the throne. Was it her, or did the throne room seem a lot longer than she remembered? As Sunset drew closer to the throne, her fragile confidence slowly leaked away until she stopped at the base of the stairs. Sunset focused her attention on the throne itself, and there she was.

Princess Celestia.

Co-ruler of Equestria and sovereign of the sun.

Headmistress of the School of Gifted Unicorns.

Personal teacher of Princess Twilight Sparkle.

Sunset's brain became stuck in a loop over Celestia's many other titles and accomplishments. She shook her head and tried to focus. Celestia was sitting on her throne, looking as regal as ever. To her right, was a small table with a large stack of papers. She would pick one up, look it over, sign it, and put it in a basket on the floor next to the throne. Sunset watched for a moment as she tried to gather her thoughts.

"What do you want?" Celestia asked, startling Sunset from her thoughts. "I…uh…" Sunset stammered.

"Speak up!" Celestia barked, causing Sunset to jump back. "If you have nothing to say, leave me be. As you can see, I am quite busy," she added.

Sunset was stunned. In all her imaginings of this scenario, she never thought it would be like this. Sunset finally found her voice and spoke up. "Princess Celestia? It's me, Sunset Shimmer."

"I know who you are," Celestia replied coldly. "I recognized your potential, took you in to teach you personally, and how did you repay me?"

Sunset winced at the harsh words. "I admit it's true. I was a terrible and foolish pony back then. I let my pride and ambition blind me to what was really important." Sunset sighed and swallowed the lump forming in her throat. "I am not that pony anymore. I've become a better pony."

Celestia said nothing and continued to sign her papers. As the minutes passed, Sunset's remorse was slowly replaced with annoyance. "Don't you have anything to say to me?" she asked.

"What is there to say?" Celestia replied, still refusing to even look in Sunset's direction. "I gave you everything, yet you threw it all in my face and betrayed me. I do not wish to look upon you anymore. Be gone!"

Sunset was crushed. Her worst fears had come true. Celestia no longer wanted her or even acknowledged her. Her best efforts were for nothing. Sunset choked back a sob and tried to keep her legs from buckling from under her.

"Why are you still here?" Celestia asked. "I told you to leave! If you will not, then you will be made too." A burning fire was lit Sunset's belly and her sorrow melted into anger. "I don't care if you hate me now or not, but I've come here for a reason and it involves both this Equestria and the Human one."

Celestia snorted. "What do I care about the Human world?"

"Because the problems of the Human world are because of us!" Sunset growled. Celestia said nothing and continued to ignore her. Sunset's anger was starting to boil over. "Look at me when I'm talking to you!" she shouted and stamped her hoof on the ground.

 ** _"YOU DARE TO COMMAND ME?"_** Celestia shouted in her Canterlot Voice. Sunset winced and braced herself against the power of the words. " ** _I AM PRINCESS CELESTIA, RULER OF EQUESTRIA! WHO ARE YOU TO SPEAK TO ME IN SUCH A MANNER?"_**

"I am Sunset Shimmer, and I refuse to be cowed by a bully like you!" Sunset shouted back.

" ** _INSOLENCE! I WILL ERASE YOU FROM THE HISTORY BOOKS! NONE SHALL KNOW YOUR NAME!"_** Celestia called out. She rose up from her throne, wings spread wide and forelegs raised over her head. Her horn began to glow as she glared down at Sunset Shimmer.

 _How did things get this far?_ Sunset lamented to herself. Wind pulled at her mane as Celestia gathered her magic. Sunset closed her eyes and braced for her demise. _I'm sorry everyone. I guess it was all worthless in the end._ A single tear escaped from her eye and rolled down her cheek.

After a few moments, Sunset realized she wasn't dead and everything had grown quiet. She opened her eyes and saw she was still in the throne room. Celestia still towered over her and looked down at her with distain, however she wasn't moving. Sunset looked around the throne room and saw everything was frozen in place. "What…"

A small tear appeared in the air that opened into a portal and a pony with a midnight blue coat stepped out. "I believe that is enough of that for now," Princess Luna said.

Sunset could only gape in surprise. She had never met the Moon Princess, but had heard all the stories about how she became Nightmare Moon, was banished for one thousand years, returned to seek her vengeance, and was purified by the Elements of Harmony. "P-P-Princess!" Sunset stammered and fell to the floor.

"Please stand up," Luna replied and held out a hoof. Sunset rose and looked uncertainly at Luna. "Why are you here?" she asked.

"The night is my dominion and as such, it is my duty to enter the dreams of ponies and help them with their troubles and nightmares," Luna said.

Sunset slowly mulled this over in her mind. "I guess that makes sense."

Luna looked around the room and frowned. "Hmm. I heard that Twilight Sparkle had a similar experience," she said. Luna looked to Celestia's frozen form and snorted with disgust. "I believe a change of venue is in order." Luna's horn flashed briefly and Sunset found they were standing in a meadow under the light of a full moon. "I'm sorry you had to see Princess Celestia in my dream like that," she said and bowed her head sadly.

"Believe me, that was not the worst nightmare I have ever seen," Luna said and placed a comforting hoof on Sunset's shoulder. "Please cheer up Sunset Shimmer. I have wanted to meet with you for some time, and I am glad I have the chance to do so."

Sunset looked up in surprise. "You wanted to meet me? Why?"

Luna sat next to Sunset and said, "I have heard a lot about you from my sister and her pupil, Twilight Sparkle. Your story is rather interesting, a pony who fled to the human world to plot a takeover, only to have a change of heart."

Sunset looked at Luna and tried not to stare. There was no breeze, but her ethereal mane waved gently in the air. Luna herself didn't appear to be very old, and she was only a little bigger than Sunset physically. However, when Sunset looked into Luna's eyes, she saw the emotional burden and deep wisdom that was buried inside. Sunset's mind was suddenly filled with questions about the things Luna had seen and experienced, but she kept those thoughts to herself.

Luna seemed to notice the weight on Sunset's shoulders and asked, "What troubles you, Sunset Shimmer?"

"Well, it's like you say," Sunset replied. "The prodigal student has finally returned to face the master."

"Are you worried about what my sister might say or do?" Luna asked. Sunset lowered her head and gave a barely perceptible nod. "Why does this bother you?"

"I've tried to make up for all the things I have done in the past, but no matter how hard I try, there's always this little voice in the back of my mind that says nothing is ever good enough. All the good deeds will never make up for the pain and suffering I've caused," Sunset said. "That I don't deserve to be happy, that I haven't suffered enough for my sins."

Luna raised her head and stared at the moon. "I once thought as you do," she said quietly.

"Really?" Sunset asked.

Luna nodded. "Indeed. It is not my proudest moment, but after I returned from my banishment, Celestia and the others were quick to forgive me. But how could they? Surely they held some sort of resentment against me for my actions as Nightmare Moon. If others would not punish me for my crimes, then I took it upon myself to do so. So I created a creature to give me the same nightmare every night."

Sunset was stunned. Luna's revelation shattered whatever idea Sunset had about the lunar princess. Sunset had always figured there had been consequences for Luna's actions, but never would have guessed that Luna would resort to such a drastic measure. At the same time, it put the princess in a new light in Sunset's eyes. "So what happened?" she asked.

At first, Luna said nothing and Sunset thought she had upset or offended the princess in some way. "The creature escaped my dream and threatened all of Ponyville. Twilight Sparkle helped me realize that the creature was feeding off of my guilt and that the only person who hadn't forgiven me was myself."

Sunset lay down and rested her head on her hooves. "To be honest, I'm surprised you would share your story with me. We have nothing in common, other than we are reformed villains of sorts."

Luna nodded in agreement. "We do share that trait, but I believe we have more in common than you think."

Sunset perked up at this and asked, "Really? In what way?"

"Our status as 'reformed villains' as you say, gives us better insight on the plight of others," Luna said. "My sister is indeed great and powerful, and certainly deserves the respect our subjects give her, but such adoration is a double-edged sword. The ponies of this kingdom hold my sister in such high regard, that she is almost deified in their minds. They believe that she is perfect and therefore, unattainable to the lowly masses." Luna turned toward Sunset and added, "I assure you, my sister is not infallible."

Sunset nodded slowly. "I think I see what you mean. Everypony has this idea of what Princess Celestia is or should be, and that she shouldn't be bothered with the problems ponies face on a daily basis."

"But you and I have walked down the path of darkness and returned to the light. We have experienced hardship and as such, we can relate better to others," Luna said. "I myself am not held in such high esteem and that is why I enjoy helping ponies with their problems."

A small smile spread across Sunset's face. "I guess that's true. And having an Empathy Touch is almost cheating in that regard."

Luna gave Sunset a puzzled look. "What do you mean?" Sunset then briefly retold the story of Camp Everfree and the new powers she and her friends had received. "I see. That is quite interesting," Luna said.

"Tell me about it," Sunset huffed.

After a moment, Luna said, "I understand you have a new companion."

Sunset sighed. "Yeah. About that."

"I think I would like to meet her as well," Luna said. "Twilight Sparkle has been keeping my sister up to date with what is happening in the human world and I have formed my own opinions on the matter."

Sunset winced. "No disrespect Princess, but I don't think now would be the best time to pop over and say hello."

"And why not?" Luna asked. Sunset then briefly recounted what had happened between Hildr and Twilight. "Hildr is a very private person and wouldn't be very happy about having her dreams invaded by a magical princess," Sunset added with a grin.

Luna narrowed her eyes, then smiled as well. "Very well. Our introduction can wait until you arrive at the castle. However, it is still my duty to help my subjects with their dreams."

Sunset quickly jumped up. "I don't think that's a good idea either," she said uncertainly.

Luna looked at Sunset, then turned her attention to the air in front of her. "Just a peek then. Perhaps it will give some insight as to her character." Her horn glowed and large window appeared out of thin air. Luna looked into the window and frowned. "This is most interesting," she said.

Sunset walked over to see what Luna was looking at, but only saw darkness. "So? I don't see anything," she said.

"That is why it is interesting," Luna said. "Either your friend HIldr has formidable mental defenses, or she simply does not dream."

Sunset began to grow apprehensive and said, "I think that's enough for now Princess." Reluctantly, Luna closed the window. She turned to Sunset and said, "This was most enjoyable. I would like to continue this conversation face to face."

"Yeah. Same here," Sunset replied with a smile. "So are you off to see other ponies?"

Luna smiled and replied, "Sadly no. My time is at an end and my sister will raise the sun soon. Farewell, Sunset Shimmer." Luna nodded to Sunset and her horn flashed, creating a new portal and she stepped through.

Sunset sat down and watched her leave. "Wow. Princess Luna. Who would have thought?" Left to her own thoughts, Sunset didn't notice her surroundings were slowly fading to white.

* * *

Sunset opened her eyes and blinked. She found herself not in a meadow under the moon, but rather in a makeshift bed in Zecora's hut. It took a few moments for her sleep addled brain to catch up, but Sunset remembered what had happened the night before. She sat up and groaned, her body stiff and sore from the excitement. Sunset shook out her mane and stepped out into the main living area of the hut where she found Zecora and Hildr talking over steaming cups of tea. Zecora noticed her and smiled. "Good day, young pony. Would you care for tea and honey?"

"Yes. Thank you," Sunset replied and sat next to HIldr. Zecora stood up and started to make an extra cup. "I see you and Zecora have hit it off pretty well," Sunset said.

Hildr nodded. "I wanted to ask about her remedy for the Poison Joke and if she had any other natural cures."

"Is this about the medicine thing?" Sunset asked and Hildr nodded. "Nature is the best healer after all. Even the best modern medicines and cures can be traced back to natural roots."

Sunset nodded and looked down at her hooves. Snippets of her conversation with Princess Luna played in her mind. "Listen Hildr, I wanted to apologize for what happened yesterday."

"Why? Nothing that happened was your fault," Hildr said.

Sunset winced. "I know, but I still feel responsible for what happened with Twilight. I tried to warn her, but once she sets her sights on a project, there's no stopping her. She can be a little tactless and clueless at times."

"So I've noticed," Hildr replied with a snort.

"Please don't be mad at Twilight," Sunset pleaded. HIldr stared down at the amber colored unicorn. "I am not mad at her. Annoyed yes, but not mad," she said and Sunset sighed with relief. At that time, Zecora gently placed a steaming cup in front of Sunset. She took a careful sip and the burning liquid pooled on her tongue before sliding down into her belly. "Ah. Thank you Zecora," she said.

Hildr watched with interest. "If fire is your special talent, does that provide you with a resistance to heat?"

Sunset smiled sheepishly. "A little I guess. Otherwise I might have suffered numerous burns as a filly." Zecora and Hildr continued their conversation with Sunset listening quietly. She found it interesting that the normally quiet and private Hildr was opening up to a stranger. Sunset surmised that it was due to their shared interest in medicine and healing.

Discord appeared wearing a night shirt and long night cap and yawned loudly. "I say, as interesting as this conversation has been, I do believe the weather is right for a bit of mischief, wouldn't you say?" A pot of coffee and a mug appeared in front of him and he dropped the mug into the pot, stirred it with a spoon, and downed the contents in one gulp. "Ah! Truly the best part of waking up," Discored sighed with content.

Hildr watched with a raised eyebrow. "And what magic to you possess?" she asked.

Discord crossed his hands over his heart and a look of pure bliss appeared on his face. "Why I thought you would never ask my dear!" He then bowed with a flourish and proclaimed, "I am Discord, former ruler of Equestria, spirit of Disharmony, and harbinger of Chaos Magic!" He then tossed his head back and threw his arms out. Confetti appeared and rained down and a banner unfurled behind him, displaying DISCORD! and a picture of his smiling face.

The two ponies and zebra sat in stunned silence over Discord's theatrics. He looked down at them and saw they weren't cheering or showering him with praise. "Was it too much?" he asked.

"Maybe just a little," Sunset replied. She still wasn't too sure about Discord, no matter how much he seemed to have changed.

"Um, Discord? Don't you think it's a bit early to be making a whole bunch of noise? You might wake up some of the animals outside," Fluttershy said quietly.

Discord quickly turned his attention to the little pegasus. "Of course my dear. I was merely trying to entertain our new friends."

Twilight appeared and the mood in the room quickly cooled. Sunset looked nervously from Hildr to Twilight and hoped things would remain civil. Twilight looked around the room and suppressed a shudder when she saw Hildr. She took a deep breath and walked up to the ponyfied Guardian, who looked down on her with disinterest. "Hildr, I want to apologize for what happened yesterday. I let my excitement get the best of me and I never took your feelings into consideration."

At first, HIldr said nothing and Sunset wondered if she needed prodding for a reaction. However, Hildr spoke up, saying, "Clearly I am not from here and therefore, am unfamiliar with your customs and courtesies. At the same time, I have been told I can be rather curt and straight-forward with my answers." At this, she shifted her gaze to Sunset Shimmer, who grinned sheepishly. "I accept your apology and in return, I am sorry for the way I spoke to you." This seemed to lift Twilight's spirits and she let out a smile. "However, I stand by what I said," Hildr added. "If Friendship is your calling, I would think that you would be able to understand the thoughts and feelings of others better." She turned to Sunset and said, "Or is that only something you can do?"

Twilight shook her head. "No, you are correct. I shouldn't let my passion and excitement for learning distract me from understanding others."

Hildr stood up and towered over Twilight. "I can tell you are still young and inexperienced, but that should not be held against you. I have known many people like you, passionate and driven to succeed. However, do not let that consume your life or you may find yourself in a dark place." Hildr glanced around the room. "I can tell you have a support unit and that is good. They will pick you up when you are down and help keep you in check. Do not forget what is most important to you."

Twilight was taken aback by Hildr's words. "Th-thank you. I won't forget it." Hildr gave a curt nod in reply.

"Oh boo hoo!" Discord cried, then summoned a bucket and threw up. "There's only so much lovey-dovey I can take in one day."

"Be nice Discord," Fluttershy chastised him. Discord rolled his eyes and his bucket disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Ahem," Twilight cleared her throat. "Thank you Zecora for taking us in last night. Now that we're all together, we should get back to Ponyville so we can take the train to Canterlot."

Zecora showed them the way out of Everfree forest and back to Ponyville. The group made it in time to catch the next train. Sunset and Twilight bid Fluttershy, Discord and Zecora farewell and jumped onboard. As the train lurched away from the station, Sunset found Hildr sitting by the window and staring out at the passing scenery. "So. What do you think about Equestria so far?" she asked.

Hildr shrugged. "I can say it's probably the nicest place I've ever visited."

Sunset gave Hildr a questioning look, then realization lit in her eyes. "Oh. Futuristic killer robots, end of civilization, blah, blah, blah. Right."

Hildr glared at Sunset, then turned her attention back to the window. Twilight sat across from the two of them and watched quietly. Spike sat next to Twilight and was engrossed in his comic book.

Twilight frowned as she looked over her notes. She really wanted to ask Hildr a few questions, but was afraid to have a repeat of what happened earlier. She shook her head and made up her mind. "Excuse me Hildr, but if you don't mind, may I ask you a few questions?" Hildr turned to Twilight and nodded. "I have what Sunset wrote in the journal, but how did you come to the conclusion that Princess Celestia is somehow involved with these Vex robots?" Twilight asked.

"Based on what I have learned about the mirror portal and magic from Sunset Shimmer, we concluded that the most likely cause was one or more unicorns cast a powerful magic that stopped the Vex and shut down all Vex technology. We also surmised that this powerful spell is the reason the human Equestria has no natural magic of its own," Hildr said.

Twilight frowned and tapped her pen against her chin. "I have studied magic for many years and learned many powerful spells, but even I have never heard of such a thing. My initial response would be to say that your theory is wrong."

Hildr nodded. "That may be true, but it's the only theory I have at the moment." She shifted in her seat to properly face Twilight. "You see, the Vex is a highly advanced artificial intelligence, capable of simulating infinite possibilities to find the right chain of events that will lead to the integration of the Vex into the fabric of the universe."

Twilight sat back in shock. "How…How is that even possible?" she stammered.

Hildr shrugged. "We know very little about the Vex, but what we do know is they operate with precision and focus. The Vex can't be reasoned with or persuaded. The Vex only have one goal, and anything that gets in the way is either integrated or destroyed."

"How long have you been fighting the Vex?" Twilight asked.

Hildr shook her head. "I don't know. As long as I've been alive. Longer even."

Deciding to press her luck, Twilight asked, "And how long have you been alive?"

Hildr let out a small chuckle. "The first or second time?"

Now Twilight was confused. "What do you mean?"

"Where I come from, there are those who have been gifted with incredible powers and abilities. These people are known as Guardians, since we are the only defense humanity has against the Vex and our other enemies like them," Hildr explained. "The majority of the Guardians were once living people who died and were brought back to life."

Twilight's eyes were the size of dinner plates and Sunset was also taken aback. She had never heard this part from Hildr. "You were brought back from the dead? How is that even possible?" Twilight squeaked.

Hildr shrugged. "From what I know, Guardians are chosen due to their compatibility with their Ghost and potential for harnessing the Light."

Twilight quickly consulted her notes. "Light? Is that your Magic?"

"I suppose you could put it that way," Hildr said. She sighed and added, "I understand you have many questions, but to keep from repeating myself over and over, I suggest you wait until we meet with your Princess Celestia."

"Oh. I guess that makes sense," Twilight said and her ears dropped in disappointment. She then started to read over her notes and made extra notations here and there.

Sunset watched with mild curiosity. She wondered if Hildr was mellowing out some. Could it be the natural magic of Equestria had some kind of calming influence on people? Sunset briefly wondered about this and decided against it. If that were the case, then certain energetic individuals wouldn't be so vivacious. Or maybe that particular pony is simply an exception?

Or maybe it was something else? Hildr had said she had been alone for a very long time. Perhaps just being around and interacting with others was having a more positive effect? Sunset considered these thoughts as the countryside rolled by.

For the thousandth time, Hildr wondered what she had gotten herself into. As a Warlock Guardian, she had seen some terrible and amazing things, but nothing in her experience could match what she was going through right now. To her, the goal was simple: Use the Vex portal network to travel back, get the SIVA kill codes, return to her time, and prevent the SIVA outbreak. It sounded easy enough, so why did she find herself turned into a pony and riding on a train through a bright, pastel colored world to meet a magical princess of the sun? Lady Skorri wouldn't know where to begin with any of that.

Magic. To some, Light was probably magic in its own right. No one really understood what it was on a fundamental basis. Certainly there were theories and arguments for and against the competing ideas, but at the end of the day, everyone agreed that Light came from the Traveler and was bestowed upon those deemed worthy to wield it.

So what was Magic then? From what she had learned from Sunset and Twilight, all ponies possessed some form of Magic and the land itself had its own Magic. And then there was the cutie mark thing. Apparently, when a pony discovered their talent or ability, the cutie mark appeared and whatever Magic the pony possessed was geared toward that talent. But what if your talent had nothing to do with what your goals or aspirations were? What then? Did one just ignore their cutie mark for the sake of their dreams? Or was that not the case? Hildr surmised that maybe that was the biggest difference between ponies and humans. Humans held many dreams and goals were constantly changing. The thought of being tied down to one particular job or talent for the rest of your life set Hildr on edge a little. It made her think that one's destiny was out of their hands and they had no agency. If the ponies had gods, did they look down and determine a pony's path in life before birth? Did that mean ponies didn't have free will?

Maybe she was looking at this all wrong. Perhaps for a pony, earning one's cutie mark was simply their way of choosing what career they wanted when they grew up. If that was the case, what is the catalyst that causes one to earn a cutie mark? Twilight sneezed, breaking into Hildr's thoughts and she realized she had two ponies she could just ask. "If I may, I have a question for the both of you," she said.

Twilight looked up from her notebook and Sunset turned around in surprise. "Really? What is it?" Twilight asked.

"I was considering the nature of Magic and was wondering how you obtained your cutie mark," Hildr said. "Since it is tied to your special talent, how did you figure out what your talent was?"

Twilight and Sunset shared a look. "Well, when I was still a filly, I wanted very badly to attend Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. It's like an advanced prep school where unicorns go to study magic."

"Sounds quite prestigious," Hildr said and Twilight nodded. "For the entrance exam, I was tasked with using magic to hatch a dragon's egg. I tried with all my might, but I couldn't get any of my spells to work." As Twilight recounted the memory, she sagged a little in her seat and her face became downcast. "I was devastated. Getting into the school was all I ever wanted. Magic fascinated me and I wanted to learn all I could and become a great unicorn like Starswirl the Bearded or even Clover the Clever. But right when I was about to give up, there was a loud explosion of light and colors. It scared me so bad, my magic went haywire and made a big mess. Because of that, I earned my cutie mark and realized my special talent WAS magic. Another side effect was the dragon egg hatched. Princess Celestia saw what happened and she recognized my potential in magic. She took me in as her personal student. As they say, after that, the rest was history."

Hildr looked to Spike and said, "I assume the dragon that hatched was Spike?" Twilight grinned and rubbed his head with her hoof. "Yep! My Best and Number One Assistant!"

"Aw gee, Twilight," Spike huffed, earning a chuckle from Sunset and Twilight. Hildr turned her attention to the fire-maned unicorn. "And? What about you?"

Sunset's face fell. "My story isn't as interesting as Twilight's," she said. "I too was seen as a gifted magical prodigy and accepted into the School for Gifted Unicorns. Everypony kept telling me how 'special' I was, how much 'talent' I had. It was quite the ego boost and I let it go to my head. I threw myself into my studies, mostly to prove to myself that all the praise people put on me was truly deserved. Magic came easy to me, especially fire magic. Celestia took notice and made me her pupil." Sunset smiled sadly and shook her head. "If I wasn't full of myself before, being taken in my Princess Celestia sent my ego past the moon and into outer space. I learned a lot, but I failed to learn the one lesson that Celestia was trying to teach me the most."

Hildr nodded and thought to herself and asked, "How did you know that fire magic was your talent?"

Sunset looked down at her cutie mark. "It was an accident really, and it wasn't even my fault. We were in the classroom learning about fire, the properties of heat, and how it related to magic. Well one of the students, I forget his name, was working on a spell and accidently set the room on fire. As it turns out, he had created starfire. Since it was imbued with magic, the flames burned in different colors and couldn't be put out with water. All I remember was being fascinated by the fire and I had this urge to just…reach out…and touch it." To illustrate her point, Sunset reached out with her hoof. "Fortunately I didn't get anywhere close to touching them, but as I stared into the flames, I felt something stir inside me. The colored flames danced in hypnotic patterns and drew me in. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Eventually, the fire was put out, but the imprint was already made on my soul. I wanted recreate the starfire. I wanted to see those impossible colors and feel the heat on my face."

"You sound like quite the pyromaniac," Twilight chuckled.

"Shut up Twinkle-butt. Don't interrupt my story," Sunset glowered, but she didn't mean it. "Starfire is a very advanced fire spell, extremely dangerous and hard to create, so the spell was kept locked away. Since I didn't have it, I had to figure it out on my own. I spent many sleepless nights trying to recreate what I had seen and I racked my brain figuring what that student had done to make it. As such, my other studies started to fall behind, but I didn't care. I was obsessed and I was going to figure it out, even if I was expelled from school.

"I finally realized why I was having such a hard time. Fire itself is a chemical reaction that creates heat and light, but it can have different properties. You see, fire by nature doesn't want to be controlled. Fire is a monster, looking for the tiniest chance to escape. You don't _control_ fire, you _harness_ it. So I stopped trying to control it. I thought of the flames I had seen and I poured not only my magic, but my heart and soul into it. I wanted it to succeed, I _willed_ it to life. And at some point, it just clicked. I knew what I had to do. I cast the spell and I brought starfire to life. I fed it, fostered it, allowed it to grow and it was beautiful. However, my starfire was different. Whereas the one that nearly burned the school down was a vast rainbow of color, mine was bright red and deep gold. It swirled around on itself, mixing the colors together in intricate patterns.

"I was so concerned with keeping the flames contained, I didn't notice I had a visitor. When Princess Celestia spoke, it startled me and I nearly lost control. With the princess's help, I was able to prevent another accident and ended the spell. Needless to say, Princess Celestia was impressed I was able to create starfire on my own. And that's when I got my cutie mark."

Hildr was quite impressed with Sunset's story. "Wow Sunset. That's amazing!" Twilight gushed.

"Princess Celestia also told me that what I did was foolish and dangerous and I could have burned down the whole school, so I was given detention for a month," Sunset added. "But that was when she made me her student, so it wasn't all bad."

"So you've always been quite the troublemaker. I should have guessed," Twilight teased and Sunset playfully pushed the alicorn princess. "You're one to talk, Almighty Princess of Friendship. Who was it again that cast a Want It, Need It spell on the whole town?" Sunset asked slyly.

"Hehehehehe, I don't know what you are talking about," Twilight forced a smile and a bead of sweat dripped down her face. She quickly leaned forward and hissed, "How do you know about that?"

"I wonder," Sunset replied mysteriously. Twilight began to sputter and Sunset laughed.

Before long, the train arrived at Canterlot station and they disembarked. Twilight and Spike walked ahead while Sunset lagged behind with Hildr. If Hildr thought the rest of Equestria was over the top, Canterlot itself and the castle were grandiose. Ponies crowded together, bringing a certain hustle and bustle familiar to most large cities. The thing that stuck out the most to Hildr was how bright and clean everything was. Perhaps it was because this was a main street through the city, but Hildr suspected this was true of the rest of the city. As they walked, HIldr was surprised to find the city was much bigger than she initially thought. "How many ponies live here?" she asked.

Sunset shrugged. "Hard to say, but it's certainly quite a few. There are other cities that are even bigger than Canterlot, like Manehattan, Fillydelphia, or Las Pegasus."

Another thing that Hildr noticed and found slightly uncomfortable was the fact that she towered above the rest of the ponies. Most ignored her, but a few spared a glance at the strange newcomer wearing interesting clothes. Hildr soon became annoyed by the stares and Sunset began to notice. "I wonder where Twilight went?" she said.

Hildr raised her head as high as she could and looked out at the sea of ponies. A short ways in the distance, she saw an archway that led to a wooden bridge. "If I had to guess, that way is the castle, so she is likely in that direction," Hildr said and pointed with her horn. Due to her size, HIldr easily forged a path in the crowd and Sunset followed close behind. By now the crowd was starting to thin out and Hildr noticed ponies wearing golden armor. "Guard ponies?" she asked and Sunset nodded.

Up ahead, a familiar lavender alicorn and baby dragon waited. "Hey! What took you so long?" Spike called out.

"Oh I don't know, somepony just up and left us to fend for ourselves," Sunset grumped.

"Sorry about that," Twilight said sheepishly. "I thought you were right behind us." Reunited, they walked across the bridge to gates of the castle proper.

The castle itself was ivory white with towers of gold, silver and onyx that shone brightly in the sun. It was cut into the side of the mountain and Hildr briefly wondered what was keeping it from falling to the valley floor below. The mountain itself towered above even the castle, as if to show that nature itself was the true ruler of Equestria.

They reached the main gate and the guard ponies took note of Twilight and let her through, however they gave a stern expression to HIldr, who promptly ignored them. Twilight led them through the courtyard and up to the main castle doors.

With every step she took, Sunset's anxiety grew more and more. How many people remembered her? Would the guards recognize her? Would they arrest her and throw her out? She was so caught up in her worries, she didn't hear Twilight's guided tour of the palace. Hildr merely took it all in. "And this here is the throne room where Princess Celestia holds court with the nobles," Twilight said and stopped before a large set of ornate wooden doors. To her surprise, Princess Luna was waiting for them. "Hello Princess Twilight Sparkle," she greeted.

"Princess Luna!" Twilight gasped and hurriedly bowed her head. Sunset and Spike did the same, while Hildr gave a short nod.

Luna was quite surprised to find herself looking Hildr in the eye. "Interesting. Most ponies are not quite as tall as myself or my sister."

"No disrespect Your Highness, but I am not like other ponies," Hildr said evenly.

"Indeed," Luna replied, getting over her initial shock. She then looked at Hildr's armor and said, "I hear that you are quite the warrior where you come from."

"Perhaps, but I am more known for my healing powers," HIldr said. At this, Luna perked up. "Is that so?" She then bowed and placed her hoof to her chest. "Please forgive my rudeness. I am Princess Luna, co-ruler of Equestria and guardian of the Night."

Hildr returned the greeting, saying, "Please just call me Hildr. I have no fancy titles or accolades to my name."

Luna nodded in reply. "Very well Hildr. I have heard much about you and wanted to meet you for some time. However, there are things that need to be addressed first." She turned to Sunset and smiled. "Hello Sunset Shimmer. Let me be the first to welcome you back to the castle."

Even as her knees started to wobble like jelly from her nerves, a warm feeling spread in Sunset's chest. "Thank you very much Princess," she managed to say.

Luna took a step toward Sunset and leaned forward. "Before we discuss the reason for your visit, I was asked to inform you that my sister wishes to speak to you privately, Sunset Shimmer."

Luna's words sent a bolt of electricity through Sunset's body and her coat stood on end. "R-really? She actually wants to see me?" Sunset squeaked.

"Yes Sunset Shimmer," Luna replied and placed a hoof on Sunset's shoulder. "Do not be afraid. Hold your head up and face your trepidation without fear." She then whispered in Sunset's ear, "I think my sister is just as nervous as you are." This elicited a chuckle from Sunset.

She took a deep breath and moved toward the doors. She looked back and saw Twilgiht smiling excitedly, while Luna looked on with interest. Hildr glared down at her, as if to say, _Well? Stop wasting time and get on with it._ With confidence she didn't quite feel, Sunset pushed the doors open and entered the throne room.

As she walked down the red carpet, Sunset had an odd sense of déjà vu. Unlike her dream, Sunset took the time to admire the stained glass windows that depicted important events in the history of Equestria. Most were familiar and the newest ones she recognized from stories Twilight had told. So much had changed since she left. However, one thing remained the same, and that was Princess Celestia.

Unlike her dream, Celestia sat on her throne and waited patiently for Sunset to approach. Her gaze was neither accusatory nor overly familiar, but stately neutral, as one would expect from a ruler of a country. Sunset reached the foot of the stairs and bowed low to the ground. She tried to keep her voice from cracking as she said, "Princess Celestia, I have come as requested."

"Hello Sunset Shimmer," Princess Celestia replied. "Please raise your head."

Sunset looked up at the sun princess uncertainly. So far, Princess Celestia had given no indication as to her current mood. This certainly wasn't what Sunset had expected. "So, what did you want to see me about?" Sunset asked. As soon as the words left her mouth, she cringed inwardly. _Really? THAT was the first thing you thought of to say?_

Princess Celestia stood up from her throne, causing Sunset to flinch. Celestia frowned at the reaction, and her face quickly returned to neutral. She walked down the stairs to the left of the throne where a door was hidden behind a column. "Come. Take a walk with me," Celestia said and motioned to the door.

Sunset stayed rooted where she was for a second, then quickly ran to catch up. Celestia walked with even, steady strides while Sunset had to trot quickly just to keep up. Celestia led Sunset through a long hallway with illumination provided by sunlight streaming through tiny windows. Sunset racked her brain, trying to remember where Celestia might be leading her.

The hallway opened up onto a balcony that overlooked a large garden. Sunset sucked in a breath in awe. She remembered this place, it was Celestia's private garden. Celestia looked down and gave a faint smile at the recollection on Sunset's face. Celestia led Sunset down the stairs and through the garden to a small gazebo. Celestia sat on a pillow and indicated for Sunset to do the same. She smiled and tried not to laugh at Sunset's nervousness and stiff movements. "I can see that telling you to relax isn't likely to help," she said.

"Probably not," Sunset admitted.

"Now then," Celestia said, getting to business. "Tell me, my dear student, what have you learned from living in the human world?"

"Huh?" Sunset was stunned. The whole surreal feeling of this experience had turned Sunset's brain into mush and she had a hard time focusing. "Can…can you repeat that?" she asked uncertainly.

"I asked, what have you learned from living in the human world?" Celestia asked patiently.

Sunset breathed a shaky sigh and tried to focus her thoughts, but she was having trouble. "I'm confused," she managed to say.

"By what?" Celestia asked.

"All of this!" Sunset said, a little louder than she intended and winced.

"What would you have me do? Become overly emotional and raise my voice, or collapse into tears of happiness?" Celestia asked.

"I…I don't know," Sunset replied and looked away. She nervously rubbed her forelegs together. "I used to wonder what would happen if I ever came back here," she said. Celestia said nothing and let her former student continue at her own pace. "I mean, after everything that happened when I stole Twilight's crown, I wanted to come back, but I didn't think you would want me anymore. I didn't think I would have a place to come back too." Sunset looked down and took a keen interest in her hooves. "As time went on, I started to think that maybe it was too late. I mean, you even took a new student after I left. The thought that I had been replaced so easily made me bitter and want to prove myself even more to you."

Sunset sniffed and looked out at the flowers. She recognized a particular plant and a faint smile appeared on her face. "You asked me what I learned from living in the human world? Forgiveness is hard. Trying to make up for past mistakes is hard. Earning back people's trust is hard. I know Twilight told the Elements of my world to take me in and teach me about friendship, but even so, they didn't trust me at first. At first I wondered, what more did I have to do to prove to everyone that I was trying to become a better person? But I realized that it wasn't others I had to convince, it was myself."

Sunset looked around the gazebo, everywhere but at Princess Celestia. "Because I'm such a stubborn and willful pony, I refused to let anything get me down. I learned that mistakes happen and you have to keep moving forward, no matter how hard it might seem. Someone told me that the reason we have eyes in the front of our head is to look where we are going, not where we have been."

Celestia nodded and Sunset kept talking. "I learned that relationships are messy and require a lot of time and effort. Despite this, some people will simply ignore or refuse you, so you can't take it personally and keep moving onward. People are not perfect and because of that, there will always be conflict. Sometimes, it can put your closest bonds to the test, but when you come out the other side, the bonds you share with others will become even stronger."

Celestia looked down at Sunset Shimmer. She was very proud of her student, although she wished Sunset didn't have to run away to learn such valuable lessons. She reached out and gently touched Sunset on the shoulder, causing her to flinch. "Sunset Shimmer, please look at me."

Reluctantly, Sunset turned to face her mentor. Looking up into Celestia's gentle smile was like basking in the glow of the summer sun, so dazzling and bright.

"I am proud of you," Celestia said. Those words nearly sent Sunset Shimmer over the edge to an emotional slobbering mess. How long had it been since she heard those words? Ever since she was just a little filly, that was all Sunset wanted to hear, that her mentor was proud of her, that she had been worthy to earn praise. At the same time, it sent another torrent of guilt crashing through Sunset's body. "I don't deserve it," she whispered. "I hurt you. I yelled at you. I said things that should never be said. How can you still be proud of me after that?"

"Is there something else you would like to say?" Celestia asked gently.

Sunset blinked slowly and nodded. She lay on the floor before Celestia and looked away in shame. "I…I'm...I'm sorry. I'm sorry for leaving. I'm sorry for disrespecting you. I'm sorry I tried to take Princess Twilight's crown. I'm sorry for not believing in you." And so it went, Sunset apologizing for seemingly everything she had ever done.

"Sunset, please get up," Celestia gently directed. Sunset sat up and looked guiltily up at Celestia. "I forgive you," Celestia said. "And I too wish to apologize."

Sunset was taken aback. What did Celestia have to apologize for? "Why? What did you do?"

Celestia sighed. "While I was greatly impressed by your talent and potential, I feel that if I had been more attentive, I might have seen the signs earlier and helped keep your ambition in check."

Sunset jumped to her feet and quickly shook her head. "No Princess, that's not your fault at all. My pride and ego wouldn't have let you help me anyway. As much as I hate to say it, I was so focused on my studies, I don't see how things could have turned out differently."

"Perhaps," Celestia mused. "I felt that if I showed you the mirror, you would realize the path you were walking was a dangerous one, but that only made things worse I'm afraid."

Again, Sunset vehemently disagreed. "I would have learned about the mirror eventually." Sunset sat back down and gazed intently up at Celestia. "This was my fault. I am to blame. You did nothing wrong."

"I am flattered you would think that about me," Celestia smiled sadly. "After you left, I always hoped you would return, even after all these years." She sighed and stared out into the sky. "Sunset, how many pupils do you think I have had over the years?"

"Um, I don't know. Lots I guess?" Sunset offered.

Celestia smiled. "That's one way to put it. I have personally trained many students who went on to become great and successful ponies. Do you think I care any less for them?"

"No?" Sunset guessed.

"I can see why you would think that I had replaced you with Twilight Sparkle, but do you really think so little of me? Is not Twilight Sparkle, or any other gifted student, not worthy of my attention?" Celestia asked.

Sunset bowed her head in shame. "No.

Celestia leaned forward and gently touched her horn to Sunset's. "Twilight Sparkle does carry a special place in my heart, but there is also a Sunset Shimmer-sized hole that only you can fill," she said.

Sunset refused to look to Celestia out of shame and only nodded her head. "Sunset, if given the chance, would you like to come back to Equestria and continue your studies?" Celestia asked.

Sunset slowly looked up in awe. "Really? You would do that?" she asked.

Celestia nodded. "Of course. All you have to do is give the word."

Sunset was overwhelmed. Celestia would let her come back? And to be her student again no less! Isn't that what she wanted the most in the world? Everything could go back to the way it was, Sunset learning at the feet of the most powerful alicorn in all Equestria.

Sunset's sudden excitement was quickly dashed. But what of her friends? It's true that her friends had pony counterparts in this world, but they weren't her friends. As badly as she wanted it, Sunset didn't belong here anymore. She had made a new life for herself as a human, with her human friends. After all they had been through together, could she really turn her back on them? Sunset was sure they'd understand, but she felt like she would be betraying their friendship. As much as it pained her otherwise, Sunset had made up her mind long ago. "Princess? I am humbled and honored that you would want me to come back, but I think I am going to refuse. I have a new life, responsibilities, and friends who are waiting for me. I wouldn't feel right leaving them behind, just so I can relive my past. I am truly grateful for everything you've given me and done for me. I hope I can repay you in kind someday," Sunset said.

Celestia looked carefully at her former student. "Are you sure this is what you want?" she asked.

Sunset steeled her will and nodded with certainty. "Yes. Besides, I can always come back to visit," she said.

"Yes you certainly can," Celestia agreed with a smile. She stood up and stretched her wings. "I suppose we should be getting back. Twilight Sparkle is probably having fits by now." Sunset giggled and also stretched. It felt like a large weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She took a deep breath and sighed contentedly. Celestia walked up next to her and embraced the unicorn with her wing. "I am truly glad you came back," she said.

Sunset closed her eyes and leaned into the princess. "Me too. I think now was the right time. I don't think I was ready before." Together, they walked back to the throne room where everyone awaited them.

* * *

 _Dear Twilight,_

 _I can't even begin to tell you how I feel right now. At first I was nervous about meeting Princess Celestia after all this time, but everything was okay. She didn't show it, but I think the princess felt similar to how I did. We talked about a lot of things and said some things that needed to be said. I feel like a burden has been lifted from me that I didn't know I had. I feel lighter, and so much better now._

 _I need to apologize to you Twilight. For the longest time, I resented you. Even though I was no longer Princess Celestia's pupil, I hated you for taking my place. I hated Celestia for replacing me so easily. I realize now that was my own pride and anger festering inside me. It was wrong of me to think that and I am sorry. Princess Celestia helped me realize that there have been many before us, and will probably be many after us._

 _I also have something else to tell you. Princess Celestia asked me if I wanted to come back and resume my studies at her side. She said she would take me back._

 _I said no._

 _Now before you pick your jaw up off the floor and come yelling at me, please hear me out. I've been gone from Equestria for a long time. I've made a new life for myself in the human world. I have responsibilities and friends to go back to. I realize that they are probably the same as your friends here, but it's not the same. These are the friends that I bullied, made up with, laughed, cried and shared amazing adventures with. How can you ask me to turn my back on that? If you were in my place, you would do the same._

 _I don't think I could have come back before now. I wasn't ready. I wasn't mature enough. I needed time to grow and become the person I want to be. I promised Celestia I would come back and visit. I would like that._

 _I have a lot to think about and I need some time to sort it all out, so I'll talk to you later._

 _Always yours,_

 _Sunset Shimmer_


	11. Down to Business

After the doors closed behind Sunset Shimmer, Luna turned to Hildr and said, "I understand your reasoning for wanting to wait for my sister, but I would like to hear a little about yourself."

Hildr frowned. "Why is that?" she asked and sat on the floor.

"I am merely curious about yourself," Luna replied, also sitting down. "It is not every day you meet a traveler from a different planet."

"More like timeline I think," Twilight spoke up. "Starswirl the Bearded believed that there are many planes of existence, each separated by a powerful and mysterious force that we don't quite understand. I think that this theory is why he researched and invented the Crystal Mirror in the first place."

"I too have heard this theory. Starswirl used to speak of this to me and my sister in hopes that our powerful and unique magic could help him in his research," Luna said.

At this revelation, Twilight's eyes lit up. "So did you?" she asked excitedly.

Luna's face fell. "Unfortunately for me, I was more concerned with being Nightmare Moon at the time," she said.

"Oh," Twilight said quietly and shrank back. "I'm sorry. I didn't know."

Luna smiled and replied, "Do not worry. It was a long time ago."

"If I may ask a question, how did you survive being banished to the moon?" Hildr spoke up. "And as far as being banished, were you physically on the moon, or was it more of a metaphysical thing?"

Twilight stared at Hildr in shock. "What? Why would you ask that?" she shrieked.

Hildr merely stared at the agitated alicorn. "Why not? It is a legitimate question."

Twilight quickly looked to Princess Luna. To her credit, Luna appeared more surprised at Twilight's reaction than Hildr's question. "Do you think that I am so fragile that I cannot face questions about my past?" Luna asked.

"Well…no," Twilight stuttered.

"I appreciate you concern for my feelings, but I do believe I am a big pony who can take care of herself," Luna said with a smile. Twilight visibly deflated and collapsed on the floor. "Things just aren't going my way," she sighed.

Hildr raised an eyebrow at Twilight's pouting. "Is that a common occurrence for you?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" Twilight asked, raising her head.

Hildr did something she didn't normally do, and that was think about her words before she said them. "From what I understand, you have achieved much and had great success. So let me ask you, have you ever failed at anything?"

It backfired spectacularly. Twilight frowned. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Hildr shrugged. "Nothing. I'm just curious."

"Of course I have," Twilight replied, rising to her feet. "Technically, I failed the entrance exam to get into Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns."

"Is that all?" Hildr asked.

"Of course not!" Twilight replied, growing angry. "I have failed many times. But because of my friends and my belief in myself, I have succeeded more than I have failed."

Hildr unenthusiastically clapped her hooves together. "Bravo. For all of your admitted failures, how many resulted in disastrous consequences for you, your friends, or your country?"

Twilight stopped to think. "There was that one time with Lord Tirek when I gave up all my magic so he wouldn't hurt my friends, but we obtained a new magic and defeated him."

"Then that doesn't count," Hildr said and Twilight glared at her. "What's your point with all this?" she asked.

Hildr narrowed her eyes as she looked down at Twilight. "The point I'm trying to make is you are acting like a petulant child who is not getting her way. It seems to me that everything has always gone your way and you've never had to struggle to succeed."

"WHAT?" Twilight shrieked and jumped to her hooves. "How dare you say that to me!"

"Is this how you treat ponies and people you've just met?" Hildr asked evenly. "Is this the first time anyone has ever said anything critical of you? Do ponies follow you around, singing praises about how great you are, how powerful you are, the Savior of Equestria many times over?"

Twilight growled and her horn started to flare. "I may be the Princess of Friendship, but that is no excuse for you to make fun of me!" she warned through gritted teeth.

"If you attack me, I will defend myself," HIldr warned.

" **ENOUGH!** " Princess Luna said in her Canterlot voice and stamped her hoof. "I have tolerated this petty bickering for long enough!" She glared at both Hildr and Twilight. "Twilight Sparkle! This behavior is most concerning and quite out of character. Explain yourself!"

Twilight was incredulous. "Why am I in trouble? Didn't you hear what she said, what I said? How can you take her side in all this?"

"I am taking no side," Luna replied. "Twilight Sparkle, you are too emotional right now, thinking with your heart and not your head. I do not fault you for wanting to defend yourself, but your actions are unbecoming of a princess."

Twilight's mouth fell open. "Why are you defending her?"

Luna narrowed her eyes. "I am not defending our guest. I am trying to figure out why you are acting the way you are."

"It's like I said. Ever since Hildr came here, she has done nothing but look down at me and all of Equestria for that matter. She thinks we are nothing but a bunch of simpletons with a backwards way of life and silly magic."

"I said none of those things," Hildr defended herself. Luna looked to Hildr and raised an eyebrow. "But you do agree with Twilight's assessment?" she asked.

"Not really," HIldr replied with a shrug.

"Then what do you say?" Luna asked.

Hildr gave an exasperated sigh and turned to Twilight. "I don't know how many times you need to be told, but I am not a pony. I am not like you. I don't think like you. I don't act like you. My life experiences are vastly different than yours." Hildr raised her hoof and gestured to the castle. "When I look around and see what you have here, how tranquil it is, all I can think is, 'How long until it all falls apart?' Where I come from, we don't have this. Our very existence hangs on a rapidly fraying thread. Often, the first think I think when I wake up is, 'Will this be the day it all ends?'" Hildr huffed and shook her head. "Seeing people go about their daily lives, blissfully ignorant of the world around them really grates on me for some reason. This is likely due to my own perception of the world."

Twilight's temper cooled some, but she was still angry. "That doesn't give you the right to criticize others or their way of life," she said.

Hildr simply stared at Twilight. "When have I ever done that? Point it out and tell me exactly what I said that upset you so much and I'll apologize."

Luna looked to Twilight. "You think Hildr is judging you unfairly?" she asked and Twilgiht nodded. "Have you done anything to warrant such an action?" Luna asked.

"Not that I know of," Twilight admitted. "But I can't help but get mad when others criticize our way of life. I admit it's not perfect because nothing ever is, but we're doing the best we can with what we have."

Hildr growled and felt like bashing her head against the wall until her brain turned to jelly. How had the conversation devolved into this? And to think it had started with a question about Princess Luna's past. Finally she'd had enough. "You know what? Forget it. I didn't want to know about Princess Luna anyway. If this is going to be the reaction every time I ask a question, I just won't ask anymore."

Twilight and Luna both turned to stare at Hildr. "What are you talking about?" Twilight asked. Hildr didn't reply, only shook her head.

Luna sighed and rolled her neck. She wasn't satisfied with Twilight's answers to her questions and suspected something else was bothering the young alicorn. She didn't fault Twilight for trying to protect her, but Luna couldn't spend her time running from difficult questions. In fact, she found the question rather honest. Hildr wasn't trying to be mean, she simply wanted to know. "It seems we have gotten off track. Since you are no longer asking questions, I will simply answer the one you already asked."

Luna turned to Hildr and cleared her throat. "You asked how I survived my banishment to the moon?" Hildr nodded. Luna gave a sad smile and said, "It is due to my magic. You see, when I embraced the Nightmare Moon identity, my power and magic was greatly increased because I no longer had any reason to limit myself and utilized the fullest extent of my power. And I was not actually on the Moon. I suppose the best way to put it would be that I was kept in a pocket world inside the Moon. Through my prison, I could see the world as It hung there in space, tantalizingly out of reach, like the gods were taunting me. Because of this, I started to despise not just my sister, but everything. There in the dark, my madness grew and fed upon my hatred and jealousy. I plotted my escape and revenge. When the time was right, I broke free of my imprisonment."

Hildr nodded along with Luna's tale, still saying nothing. "I imagine this is the part where you ask how I became Nightmare Moon?" Luna asked and HIldr shrugged in reply. "You are quite the stubborn fool," Luna said.

"I've been called worse," Hildr said.

Luna snorted and continued her story. "My sister will have you believe that I became Nightmare Moon out of jealousy and spite. This is only partly true."

Twilight's eyes went wide. "What? How can that be? Are you saying Celestia has been lying this whole time?" she asked.

Luna shook her head. "My sister did not lie, but has not told the complete truth. To be honest, I do not think even she knows the full story." She sighed and looked to the floor. "You see, my sister has dominion over the Sun and the day, whereas I hold sway over the Moon and the night. And what comes with the night?"

"Darkness?" Twilight offered. A second later, her eyes lit up with realization and she stared at Luna with a horrified expression on her face. "Princess Luna, does that mean…"

Luna nodded sadly. "Yes Twilight Sparkle. As you suggest, I have a vast knowledge of darkness and Dark Magic. You could go so far as to say Darkness itself is my talent, and control of the Moon and dreamwalking is a byproduct of that."

Twilight was at a loss for words, while Hildr continued to listen with interest as Luna continued. "You see, Dark Magic is unpredictable, manipulative, and corrupts easily. It requires a strong will to harness properly." Luna hung her head in shame. "There is no excuse for what I did. Dark Magic feeds on negative emotions and amplifies their effect. Some will argue that I wasn't in control of my actions or I was simply corrupted by the Nightmare Force." At this Luna scoffed. "Nightmare Force? What a ridiculous notion! I assure you there is no such thing as the Nightmare Force! That is simply an excuse others use to explain my behavior and the occasional resurgence of Dark Magic. In any case, I fought my sister over control of Equestria and she was forced to use the Elements of Harmony."

"Wait. I've seen this," Twilight said. "Celestia seemed rather reluctant to use the Elements. Why was that?"

Luna shrugged. "That is for my sister to answer. I suspect she thought she could use the Elements to purify me of Nightmare Moon, or at least contain me somehow, like Discord. Or perhaps she truly did not know what would happen."

Twilight thought for a moment. "Then why were my friends and I able to purify you and not Celestia?"

Luna gazed into the distance. "I believe it is because my sister was not able to wield the Elements properly. When we defeated Discord, we were of one mind and goal, essentially in harmony with each other. However, my sister could not find that harmony by herself. Her heart was also clouded with fear, anger, and regret. I believe the Elements did the next best thing, which was to hold me until a way could be found to remove the influence of Nightmare Moon."

Twilight nodded to herself. "I suppose that makes sense, but if there is no difference between you as Princess Luna and you as Nightmare Moon, what happened to Nightmare Moon?"

"If I may, I have a theory," Hildr spoke up, startling Twilight and Luna. They both turned to look at her. "From what you've said, I believe these are symptoms of Dissociative Identity Disorder and Schizophrenia."

Twilight quickly turned on Hildr. "Are you saying Princess Luna is mentally disabled? How dare you!"

Hildr stared down at Twilight. "For once, in your life, let me finish talking before jumping to wild conclusions." Chastised, Twilight stepped back and started to sulk. "First of all, Dissociative Identity Disorder and Schizophrenia are mental _disorders_ , not mental _disabilities_. There is a difference. And second, I said she showed symptoms. I am not the right kind of doctor to make a proper diagnosis." Hildr then turned to face Princess Luna. "Please forgive me Princess. It is not my intent to offend or hurt you, but give my opinion."

"Do not worry. Twilight Sparkle will be offended for me," Luna said with a smile.

"Hey! That's not fair," Twilight pouted.

"As I was saying," Hildr continued, "Dissociative Identity Disorder tends to manifest as the result of some kind of trauma, physical, psychological, or emotional. It is a kind of coping mechanism, a way for the mind to rationalize or comprehend the trauma. Schizophrenia is often related to Dissociative Identity Disorder and characterized by hallucinations, delusions, or distortions of self-experience. I am not saying these things are true, but this is my best guess."

"So you think that something terrible happened to Princess Luna, and the onset of Nightmare Moon was a result of her trying to cope?" Twilgiht asked. She shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I have a hard time believing that."

"Perhaps, but that is the best way I can explain the existence of Nightmare Moon," Hildr said. "You said yourself that Dark Magic has a corrupting influence. That, coupled with your feelings of resentment and jealousy, started to twist your thoughts and made you see the world differently. As a result, the Nightmare Moon personality manifested and took control. That would also explain why you have trouble remembering certain events."

Luna considered Hildr's words. "A most interesting proposition. I have not thought of it that way. Perhaps there is a bit of truth in your words."

"Well I don't buy it one bit," Twilight scoffed. "And your theory doesn't explain how the Elements of Harmony restored Princess Luna."

Hildr shrugged and replied, "Magic."

"What? How does that even make sense?" Twilight asked incredulously.

"You're the magic user, you tell me," Hildr shot back.

"You're only saying that because you have no answer," Twilight said.

"And why not? Magic is a thing that exists in this world right? So why not?" Hildr insisted.

"You are using Magic as an excuse to explain something you don't understand," Twilight replied.

"Yes! Exactly! You get it now!" Hildr said. "You all just claim 'Oh it's Magic' and deus ex machina your way out of everything. Anything that doesn't make sense in this world is just 'Magic' and has no rhyme or reason to it."

"So that's what your problem is? You don't understand Magic or how it works, so you just dismiss it with a wave of the hoof?" Twilight asked.

Hildr sighed. "I'm afraid that if I ask 'Do YOU understand Magic?' we'll be here all night."

"That is true," Luna spoke up, to the annoyance of Twilight. "While such a discussion is bound to be lively, that is not the reason you are here, is it?" Twilight and Hildr both shook their heads. Luna turned toward the throne room doors. "It seems that my sister and Sunset Shimmer are done speaking. Come, let us join them and get to the root of your problem."

"The Vex," Hildr snarled. Luna nodded and pushed open the doors, leading them inside.

* * *

Sunset Shimmer and Princess Celestia returned to the throne room just as the others were entering. As they drew closer, Sunset could see that Twilight was upset, Princess Luna appeared contemplative, and Hildr was, well, Hildr. She took her place between Hildr and Twilight as Luna sat on her throne next to Celestia. "Did something happen?" Sunset whispered to Twilight.

"I don't want to talk about it," Twilight muttered. That was a clue that somepony, probably Hildr, had upset Twilight in some way. Sunset groaned inwardly and turned her attention back to Celestia.

"First, let me welcome you to Equestria," the sun princess said.

"Thank you Your Highness," Hildr replied with a short bow.

"I trust your experience has been satisfactory so far?" Celestia asked.

Hildr shrugged and said simply, "I've had worse." Celestia's eyes flared and Luna merely watched with interest. Hildr stepped forward and said, "Look Your Highness. I'm all for formalities and protocol, but can we just skip all that and get to the point? I don't have a lot of time and would rather not waste it on niceties."

At this, Twilight did her best Rarity impression and fainted on the ground. Sunset's eyes went wide and she stepped away on instinct. Unamused by the theatrics, Hildr looked down at the comatose alicorn and snorted, "She'll be fine."

"I see," Celestia replied uncertainly. "I do believe this is the first time I have seen Twilight Sparkle so downhearted. If I may ask, did something happen?"

"We had an argument and I challenged her world view," Hidlr said simply. "She didn't take it very well."

"I see," Celestia replied. She cleared her throat and resumed her dignified manner. "Well since we are getting to the point, I would like to start by hearing about your journey so far."

HIldr and Sunset shared a look. "Okay then," Hildr said and then recounted everything that had happened since she ended up on the Human Equestria. Sunset was grateful to Hildr for not mentioning the part where she was 'questioned' by the government agents. "And then we came here and here we are," Hildr finished.

Celestia leaned back on her throne. "I must say, that is quite the tale."

"You're telling me," HIldr huffed. "So this brings me to my question. Have you or any other pony with powerful magic visited the human world at any time in the past?"

Celestia was taken aback. "What?" she managed to ask.

"And if that were true, did you or the other pony cast a powerful magic spell that wiped out all of the Vex technology?" Hildr continued. Celestia could only sputter in response.

"So if you DID disable the Vex technology with magic, I would like for you to undo the spell so I can continue with my mission," Hildr said simply.

"And just how did you arrive at this conclusion?" Celestia finally managed to find her voice. HIldr rolled her neck and groaned. "And this is why I don't like repeating myself over and over," she said.

Celestia glared down at Hildr and even Luna looked like she was beginning to lose patience. Sunset grimaced and looked up at Hildr. The mood was quickly turning sour. Thoughts of what Celestia might do if Hildr pushed her too far raced through Sunset's mind. She stepped forward and spoke up. "We think that sometime in the past, the human world had Magic."

"And how did you reach this conclusion?" Luna asked. Celestia quickly turned to face her sister and frowned.

"Because I've been fighting the Vex for a very long time and nothing I've seen has worked to this effect," Hildr said. "Ever since the Vex arrived and started terraforming our planets, we've tried everything we could to defeat them. Guardians are capable of incredible and amazing things, and even then we've only scratched the surface of understanding and ultimately defeating the Vex."

"Based on everything Hildr saw and has told me, the most logical conclusion is that a powerful spell wiped them out," Sunset said.

"You've seen these Vex?" Luna asked and Susnet nodded. "I fought them and even with my magic, Hildr still had to save me." Sunset looked to Hildr, who snorted and rolled her eyes.

"I do have one question," Luna said. "If the Vex technology is indeed dead or inoperative, how did you manage to come through the portal in the first place?"

"At that time, I was already in the Vex network," Hildr said. "Naturally, the Vex weren't too thrilled and came after me. I found the nearest portal and jumped out. For whatever reason, that particular portal had enough residual energy to let me out before dying."

Luna frowned, as if she was still unconvinced. "Very well. I will accept your explanation for now."

"From what it sounds like to me, your arrival on the human world was a mistake," Celestia said. "Your current circumstance is indeed unfortunate, but if the Vex are as dangerous as you say then we can't take the risk that more will appear."

Hildr frowned. "So you're telling me I'm stuck here?" After a moment of hesitation, Celestia nodded.

A flame started to burn in Hildr's chest and she growled in frustration. "So that's it then? You won't even try?"

"We cannot accept the risk," Celestia said.

"Really? I refuse to believe that," Hildr spat. "If you won't help me, I'll just figure it out on my own."

"And how will you do that?" Luna asked.

Hildr sighed. "Look. From where I'm standing, this doesn't seem that hard. Undo the spell, let me activate a portal and go through, then you turn everything off again."

Luna looked to her sister. "Does such a spell even exist?" she asked. Celestia frowned, looking none too happy. Her horn flared and a small opening appeared in the floor. A pedestal appeared with a large leather bound book sitting on top. A purple blur shot between Hildr and Sunset and skidded to a stop before the book. "What is this?" Twilight asked, eyes wide with amazement.

"As you have guessed, I have traveled to different worlds in the past," Celestia said. "This journal contains detailed notes of every place Starswirl and I have visited."

"WHAT?" Twilight shrieked. She began to hyperventilate out of excitement.

Hildr rolled her eyes and walked up to Twilight. She reached into her robes, pulled out a small bag and emptied the contents on the floor. "Here. Breathe," she said and shoved the bag at Twilight. Twilgiht grabbed the bag and took several deep breaths. When she had calmed down, she handed the bag back to Hildr. "Ahem. Thank you," Twilight replied evenly. She tuned back to Celestia, her eyes twinkling in excitement.

Celestia took a moment to compose herself. "As I was saying, this journal contains detailed notes on the worlds Starswirl and I have visited."

Twilight frowned. "But why keep this secret until now?" she asked.

Celestia sighed. "Most of the worlds we visited were vastly different and we learned many interesting things. However, a few worlds were very dangerous."

"So is that the reason? Some places were too dangerous for ponies?" Twilight asked.

At this, Celestia hesitated. "There were…other circumstances that led to Starswirl abandoning his project and putting the mirror away." Luna noticed her sister was looking guilty about something. She frowned and made a note to ask her about it later.

"Can we look at the journal?" Twilight asked excitedly. After a moment of hesitation, Celestia nodded her consent. Squealing with delight, Twilight carefully picked the book up and lowered it to the floor. She opened it up and carefully examined the pages. Her own curiosity piqued, Sunset hovered over Twilight's shoulder and helped her read.

While this was happening, HIldr began to pace back and forth. Her intense aura permeated the room and put everyone on edge. Celestia found her own annoyance slowly creeping up and she said, rather shortly, "Hildr, please stop pacing." Hildr glared at the princess and ignored her.

Luna watched with interest. It had been a long time since she had seen her sister put on edge like this. With everything that had happened since her return from the moon, Celestia had handled every major problem in a mostly dignified manner. Well, that one time with Queen Chrysalis was pretty embarrassing, but that is neither here nor there. The fact remained that Hildr was the only pony Luna had ever seen that could cause even Princess Celestia to lose her cool.

"Look at this! A world of dinosaurs with cutie marks?" Twilight remarked.

"I'm more interested in this one inhabited by board game pieces," Sunset said. "Hey Twilight, just what does 'Monopoly' mean anyway?"

They kept looking though the journal and just when Hildr was about to explode, Sunset exclaimed, "Ah ha!"

"What is it? What did you find?" Twilight asked. Sunset pointed and started reading. "Today is the first time we have used the mirror since Starswirl made improvements. He seems to think that a change of location will take my mind off recent events. While I am thankful for his council and friendship, I fear that nothing will lift this pain in my heart." The two ponies quickly glanced at each other, then looked up to Princess Celestia. The normally proud and stoic princess seemed to shrink down on herself and looked sadly at the floor. Hesitantly, Sunset kept reading. "The deed is done and now I will carry this burden for the rest of my life. Luna, my dear sister. How did it end up this way? If I had been more attentive, perhaps I would have seen the signs of your displeasure sooner. Could this have been prevented? It does not matter now, and we will never know. But know this, I vow that one day, I will release you from your prison and make things right again."

Celestia's wings drooped in sorrow. Seeing her in such a state filled Luna with compassion and she moved to comfort her sister. Sunset took a moment to compose herself and skimmed ahead. "Against my better judgement, I accompanied Starswirl on his latest journey. The world we found was vastly different than any we had visited before. We encountered a highly advanced species that called itself 'humans,' and while the world had Magic similar to Equestira, the humans either did not know, or could not, utilize it. Instead, they relied on 'technology.' With this technology at their disposal, the humans had built a society that far surpassed anything we have in Equestria. Imagine our surprise when we found out these humans had traveled to this planet across space. If I had not seen it for myself, I would have not believed it."

"Well that partially confirms my theory then," Hildr spoke up.

"What do you mean?" Celestia asked.

HIldr stopped pacing and faced Celestia. "On my world before everything fell apart, we were a highly advanced civilization. As such, we sent ships on expeditions to the stars, to expand our knowledge and possibly colonize new worlds outside our Solar System. When the Collapse happened, the remaining colony ships were launched in attempt to save as many people as possible. Not all of them made it."

"I see," Celestia said. "And you believe that the humans mentioned in the journal are from one of your colony ships?" Hildr nodded. "It makes sense to me. The journal has only mentioned meeting humans the one time, they had advanced technology, and came from the stars."

"It certainly is a compelling argument," Sunset spoke up. She quickly read through a few more pages.

"Oh! I think I found it!" Twilight spoke up. "While the humans appeared to be friendly, they were in fact quite violent with weapons of a type I have never seen before or since. At first I was shocked and appalled that a species could be so advanced and so violent at the same time. I am reminded of a spell that could possibly convert other species into ponies. Perhaps this is worth looking into?" Twilight and Sunset both looked up at Celestia, a mixture of fear and revulsion on their faces. "Is…is that true?" Twilight asked.

"I had considered it, but decided against it," Celestia said. "At the time, the process was incomplete and often had…less than desirable effects."

Sunset's eyes narrowed. "But you are saying experiments were conducted?" she asked with an edge to her voice.

Celestia looked down at the two ponies. "As ruler, I have to consider what is best for all of Equestria. If that means forcing a possible enemy to become my subject, then so be it."

Twilgiht stepped forward to challenge Celestia. "And how many have been converted into ponies?" Celestia hung her head and didn't answer. Twilight continued to glare at Celestia and Sunset placed a hoof on her shoulder. "Not now Twilight," she said and looked back to the journal and continued reading. "Fortunately, the humans were not fighting each other, but a common enemy. I have seen the enemy with my own eyes and I do not understand how such a thing can exist. The enemy is a race of mechanical beings with weapons that surpass even the humans. I have observed this enemy at length and I believe that they operate under a singular overseer in a hive mind mentality. Starswirl says this is called collective consciousness, but I have no knowledge of such a term. We ponies do not have a word for this type of enemy, but the humans call them Vex."

"I knew it," Hildr muttered.

Twilight turned to Hildr. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you. It's just that your theory was so unbelievable, I had a hard time wrapping my head around it."

Hildr shrugged. "It doesn't matter at this point. Our knowledge of the world is often based on experience, and if you have no experience with something, it is difficult to grasp the concept behind it."

Twilight nodded. "I guess that makes sense."

Sunset read through the rest of the journal entry. "According to this, Starswirl wanted to leave the human world and seal it off, never to visit again. He felt that humans were too primitive and too violent to offer anything useful to ponies. Celestia argued that anypony would become violent if faced with certain death. She also felt that humans had a unique perspective and could share their technology. Ultimately, Starswirl consented and they developed a spell to help the humans defeat the Vex."

"Does it say what it was?" Hildr asked.

Twilight looked and shook her head. "All it says is they approached the human leaders and offered their help. It took some convincing, but the humans agreed. Starswirl and Celestia prepared the spell and, and when it was complete, cast it. The spell did stop the Vex, but had the side effect of nullifying most of the human's technology. Needless to say, the human's weren't happy and the two ponies departed on less than amicable terms."

Sunset looked up to Celestia and asked, "At what point did you realize the human world no longer had Magic?"

Celesia sighed. "After the Sirens were defeated, Starswirl needed a place to banish them to. It was then we remembered the human world. After a quick investigation, we were surprised to find that world no longer had magic. This being the case, Starswirl decided to banish the Sirens to this world where they couldn't use magic to regain their strength."

Hildr blew out a frustrated breath. "This is all well and good, but I still need to undo the spell."

Twilight turned the page, but it was blank. In fact, the rest of the journal hadn't been written in. "I'm sorry Hildr, but that seems to be the last entry," she said.

Celestia spoke up, saying, "Not long after this, Starswirl and the other Pillars of Old Equestria were sealed away with the Pony of Shadows. With Starswirl gone, I had no further reason to use the mirror or continue his research and hid the mirror away."

Sunset frowned. "Then why did you show it to me?" she asked.

"In addition to traveling to other worlds, the mirror can also show one's potential future," Celestia said. "I showed it to you in hopes that you would see that your pride and hubris would potentially lead you down a dark path."

Sunset hung her head in shame. "Yeah. About that," she muttered.

"This is all well and good, but the problem remains on what to do about the spell," Hildr spoke up.

"Even if I gave you the spell, there is little chance you could re-create it," Celestia said.

"And why is that?" Hildr growled.

Celestia narrowed her eyes and looked down at Hildr. "For one, you are not a normal pony with Magic. And second, the spell used up all the natural Magic of that world. How could you re-create a spell of that magnitude without the requisite level of Magic?"

Susnet thought for a moment and spoke up. "What about the Elements of Harmony? Wouldn't that provide enough Magic?"

Celestia shook her head. "Although that is an excellent idea, it would not work. The Elements are indeed powerful, but even they wouldn't be enough."

"And I don't suppose you would be willing to lend your vast and powerful Magic to the cause?" Hildr asked angrily.

"Such a thing would be possible, but would leave myself and Luna completely drained of Magic," Celestia replied testily. "If that were the case, there would be no one to raise and lower the sun and moon, and would leave Equestria in a perilous state."

"So you're telling me that the Rulers of Equestria, possessors of the most awesome and powerful magic ever, can't be bothered because 'Who will raise the sun and moon?' Is that it?" HIldr asked, raising her voice. "Seems like a convenient excuse if you ask me." Hildr angrily stomped the ground and shook her head. "If you won't help, why am I wasting my time here?"

"And now who is acting like a petulant child?" Luna asked, earning a death glare from Hildr.

Twilight's mind started to race. The meeting was quickly falling apart and certain ponies seemed on the edge of lashing out and doing something foolish. "Princess Celestia, what about before you were Princess of the Sun? Weren't the sun and moon raised and lowered by the unicorns?" she asked.

Celestia nodded. "That is true, but the strain of doing so drained all the unicorns of their magic," she said.

"So why not do that then?" Hildr asked. "It would only be for a day or two at the most. And just how many unicorns are in Equestria anyway? Wouldn't their collective magic be enough?"

Celestia shook her head. "Even then it wouldn't be enough."

Hildr's temper was starting to get the best of her and her body started to tremble. Inwardly, her Light started flare up, causing Hildr's eyes to glow. She gritted her teeth and asked, "I need to step out for a moment. Is there someplace I can go to let off some steam? I really don't feel like breaking your nice throne room."

"Are you threatening me?" Celestia asked dangerously.

"Not yet," Hildr replied. "I'm trying to be polite by not breaking your stuff."

Celestia snorted. "One of the guard ponies will show you to the training room." She rang a small bell and a white stallion waring golden armor appeared. He approached Hildr, and with one last glare at Celestia, Hildr followed him out. The other ponies watched her leave and when the doors shut, Sunset and Twilight let out the breaths they had unconsciously been holding. The oppressive atmosphere also lifted.

"Well. That was rather interesting," Luna remarked.

"Indeed," Celestia replied. She took a few moments to center her bearing and looked down at Sunset and Twilight. "I am sorry, but it appears that Hildr is stuck in the human world."

"Are you sure Princess?" Sunset asked and approached the stairs. "Is there really nothing that can be done?"

Celestia shook her head. "As it stands, no. With no natural Magic in the human world, the spell would not be powerful enough."

Twilight began to pace back and forth as she thought. "Since there is no Magic there, why not bring it back? Is such a thing even possible?" She then began to mumble to herself.

Sunset watched and sighed. Her ears and mane drooped in a display of her current mood. She felt badly for Hildr and her situation. It seemed that if there was a god or some sort of higher power, they took it upon themselves to make Hildr suffer as much as possible. At some point one had to wonder if that was the case.

Sunset then thought of her relationship with Hildr. Sure they hadn't started off well, but what would you call it now? Were they friends? Acquaintances? Comrades? They certainly weren't enemies. Sunset couldn't think of a word that best fit their current dynamic. Had her own opinions of the Warlock changed? Perhaps, just a little. Maybe she had just become accustomed to how Hildr acted. She could be direct and overbearing, but she wasn't a bad person.

Maybe she was looking at this all wrong, Sunset thought. Maybe she was looking too deep into things. Perhaps the only reason Hildr tolerated her was because she got swept up into Hildr's business and Hildr only looked after her out of obligation. This made Sunset feel even worse.

"What's wrong?" Celestia asked. Susnet looked up at the princess sadly. "I'm sorry things have ended up this way," she said. "I know you wanted to meet Hildr, but I should have warned you about her first.

Celestia considered this. "Perhaps, but we are past that now. What is your opinion on all this?"

Sunset shrugged. "I don't really know. I still don't fully understand everything Hildr is trying to do. She's not a bad person, but she has little patience for wasting time. Unfortunately, that's all she thinks this was."

"Indeed. After dealing with nobles and other ponies of higher status, it was nice to hear one speak their mind so plainly. Although, she could have been a bit more tactful in her approach," Celestia said.

"I know what you mean," Sunset agreed.

"I've got it!" Twilight shouted excitedly, startling everypony in the room. "So the human world doesn't have Magic, and you two don't want to use up all of your magic right?" she said. Celestia and Luna shared a look and nodded. "So that means we simply have to take Equestrian Magic to the human world!" Twilight exclaimed.

"How would you even do that?" Sunset asked. "I mean, I could steal ALL the Elements this time, but I don't think that would be a good idea."

Twilight glared at Sunset. "No. It wouldn't. Besides, you and your friends have your own Elements right?"

"Yes," Sunset agreed, "but only because I took your Element of Magic and it unlocked the potential in my friends. Equestrian Magic also seeped through the portal and condensed into crystals." Twilight grinned widely as the wheels in Sunset's mind started to grind together. Finally the answer clicked into place and Sunset's face lit up. "Of course! Why didn't I think of that before?" She ran up to Twilight and shook the lavender alicorn excitedly. "Twilight you're a genius!"

"Oh, stop," Twilight gushed.

Luna cleared her throat. "I would appreciate if you shared this grand revelation," she said.

"Oh! Sorry," Twilight replied sheepishly. Her horn flared to life and a large chalkboard appeared. Twilight picked up a piece of chalk and began drawing. "Like Sunset said, Equestrian Magic seeped through the portal and condensed into crystal. Once they were found by Sunset and her friends, the crystals help to enhance the Magic of Friendship they all share. If we find a crystal big enough, it might make up for the human world's lack of magic."

"But such a crystal would be of enormous proportions," Luna said.

"Normally you would be correct," Twilight said, "But we aren't looking for just any old crystal. We need one that is packed with Equestrian Magic."

"And where do you suggest we find such a crystal," Celestia asked.

"I'm glad you asked," Twilight said and made more notes on the chalkboard. "We would need to go to a place with the highest concentration of Equestrian Magic. Now I don't exactly know where that might be, but with a bit of research, I believe we could find it. Then all we would need to do is go there, obtain a sizeable piece and bring it back!" Twilight stepped away from the chalkboard, showing off her calculations and notes.

Sunset looked closely at the board. "Hmm. I think this could work. We found the crystals in a cave in Everfree Forest. That might be a good place to start."

"Maybe, but I want to look through the library and see if any large deposit of crystalized Magic has ever been found," Twilight said. Sunset nodded. "Okay. I think we have a pretty good plan for now."

Twilight looked out the window. "It's still pretty early in the day, so we have plenty of time."

Sunset smiled, then frowned. "I guess someone has to go and tell Hildr what we found out," she said. At the mention of Hildr's name, the air suddenly became chilly and oppressive. "I'll go," Sunset volunteered.

"I would like to accompany you," Luna spoke up and stepped down from her throne.

"I guess I'll head to the library," Twilight said. With everypony decided, they split up. As they walked through the castle, Sunset said to Luna, "So princess, what do you think of HIldr?"

"I find her very fascinating," Luna said. "Intentional or not, she has a way of pressing people's buttons."

"No kidding," Sunset agreed. "For a little while, I thought Princess Celestia was going to completely lose it."

"It has been a very long time since I have seen my sister so upset," Luna replied with a chuckle. "But those were different times then and we were much younger."

After they had walked a little farther, Sunset asked, "When you all came into the throne room, why was Twilight so mopey?"

Luna sighed. "It is as Hildr said. They had a disagreement where Twilight felt Hildr was disrespecting me and all of Equestria. Hildr insisted that this was not the case."

"Hmm. I see," Sunset replied. "Let me guess, Hildr asked about Nightmare Moon and Twilight didn't like it?"

"That is correct," Luna confirmed. "I must say that once I told Hildr, she made an interesting point that I had not thought of before."

"Well what was it?" Sunset asked.

Luna gave Sunset a sly look. "I do believe that is called Doctor-Patient Confidentiality," she said.

"Aw man," Sunset groaned. "HIldr took you on as a patient too?"

"Not exactly," Luna said. "I believe she said she wasn't the correct kind of doctor for that kind of diagnosis." She turned to Sunset and asked, "Is she really a doctor?"

Sunset nodded. "As near as I can figure. She patched me up pretty good when I got hurt. You can ask her yourself when we find her."

Luna merely nodded in agreement. Sunset followed the moon princess through the castle until they came to a heavy wooden door. With a bit of effort, Luna pushed the door open and Sunset gasped. Inside was a total disaster. The once pristine white walls were covered with scorch marks and soot. What used to be training dummies were now bits of ash and charcoal on the ground. Several sets of armor were nothing more than rapidly cooling piles of slag. Hildr stood in the center of the room, panting heavily and sweating from exertion. Flames surrounded her body like a protective shield and her sword hung in the air, also on fire. Hildr finally calmed down and when she noticed her audience, she frowned and asked, "What are you doing here?"

"We, uh, came looking for you?" Sunset stammered.

Hldr snorted. "Why would you need to look for me? You knew where I was," she replied. The aura of flames surrounding her body disappeared and her flaming sword extinguished. Hildr blew out a breath and sheathed her sword over her back.

Luna narrowed her eyes. "Is it customary where you come from to ruin part of your host's home when you visit?" she asked.

Hildr looked around and took note of the damage. "Sorry," she replied, rather unapologetically. "I didn't mean to ruin your practice hall." Hildr blew several annoying strands of hair out of her face. "I just wanted to work off some excess energy."

"By trying to burn down the castle?" Sunset asked. "This is new, even for you."

Hildr turned and glared at Sunset. "What do you know? We've known eachother for three days, if that."

Sunset breathed deeply and slowly counted to ten. _Don't get mad, don't get mad, don't get mad._ "Twilight and I have a solution that might help with your problem," she said finally.

"Oh. And what is it exactly?" Hildr asked. Sunset then told Hildr about the plan Twilight came up with. "She's searching the library right now for any record of condensed deposits of Magic."

Hildr narrowed her eyes. "That sounds like a waste of time," she said frankly.

"Oh? And just what do you suggest?" Luna asked.

Hildr held up her hoof. "Raven? A moment if you please," she said and her Ghost materialized. Luna's eyes went wide and she stepped back. "What Magic is this?" she exclaimed.

Sunset facehoofed. "Right. You've never met Raven," she said.

Raven floated about and took scans of his current surroundings. "I say, you've done quite a number on this place," he remarked.

"Can it," Hildr replied curtly. "I want to know if you can track concentrations of Magical energy."

Raven bobbed up and down. "Sure. After we got lost in the Everfree Forest, I configured my sensors to trace Magic signatures."

Hildr turned back to Luna and Sunset. "There you go. We'll use my ship to fly around and map Magic energy signatures. That should lead us to what you want."

Still recovering from her surprise, Luna looked down to Sunset who rolled her eyes and shrugged. "But will we even fit in your ship now? We aren't exactly humans right now," Sunset said.

Hildr frowned. "I think I have another ship that will suit us better. It's bigger than the one you saw, but it will require slight modifications."

Sunset gave Hildr a sly look. "So does that mean I can come with you?"

Hildr rolled her eyes and shrugged. "Why not?"

After a second of hesitation, Sunset decided to press her luck. "What about Twilight? Can she come too?"

"Fine!" Hildr growled. "But you need to keep her in check. Based on historical data, she is likely to have a mental breakdown."

"Cross my heart and hope to cry, stick a cupcake in my eye," Susnet promised and drew an X over her heart.

Luna looked around the destroyed training hall. "And what do you recommend we do about this?" she asked.

"Can I just pay you for the damages?" Hildr offered. Again, Luna was taken aback. "I suppose that would suffice. What do you suggest as a method of payment?"

"How about gold?" Hildr offered. Curious, Luna nodded her agreement. Sunset was also intrigued and watched carefully. Raven scanned a small section of the floor and small pile of translucent glowing cubes appeared. "What's this?" Sunset asked.

"Glimmer," Hildr replied. Raven scanned the pile of glimmer and shot a beam of energy from his eye. There was a flash of light and the pile of glimmer cubes turned into a neat stack of gold bars.

"Whoa. How did you do that?" Susnet asked in amazement.

"Glimmer is a programmable material mostly found on Earth," Raven explained. "Due to its versatile nature, it can be used as a power source or traded as currency. All I did was modify it on a molecular level and change it into gold."

"I have never seen or heard of a magic quite like this," Luna said. "Your world is indeed fascinating."

"You wouldn't think that if you saw it," Hildr replied darkly. "Will this be enough to cover the damages?"

"Oh yes, that is more than plenty," Luna said. "However, there remains the issue of this room." Luna closed her eyes, spread her wings and her horn lit up. There was a flash of light and the room was reverted to its previous state, clean and pristine.

Hildr looked around rather impressed. "Magic?" she asked.

"Magic," Luna nodded with a smile.

Hildr rolled her eyes. "Why not?" she huffed. Susnet couldn't help but giggle.

* * *

 _Hey Twilight,_

 _So. The meeting with Celestia probably could have gone better. I feel like I should have warned Princess Celestia about Hildr and at the same time, told Hildr to play nice. Honestly, I don't think it would have mattered very much._

 _I'm sorry that you and Hildr can't seem to get along. She doesn't mean anything by it, that's just how she is. I'm not making excuses for her behavior, but you need to understand where she's coming from. To her, this whole thing has been one disaster after another. She's a bit like you in that regard. She had a plan, the plan is falling apart and she's trying everything in her power to make it work._

 _It's a good thing she left the throne room when she did. When we found her in the training room, she pretty much burned it to the ground. That reminds me of something else. We might not realize it, but where Hildr comes from, she is a very powerful Magic user and has defeated foes that make Discord and Tirek look tame in comparison. I mean, I've seen her in action and I believe that is only a small fraction of her true capabilities. A small part of me wants to see when she goes all out, but the rational side of me says that would be a terrible idea. I really don't want to know if anything here in Equestria could or would push Hildr that far._

 _Oh, another thing. I told Hildr about your plan to find crystalized Magic deposits and she said she might have a better way of searching than just looking though old books. I don't want to spoil it for you, but I think you will be surprised._

 _Until then,_

 _Sunset Shimmer_


	12. Formulating the Plan

Satisfied everything was in order, Princess Luna turned to Sunset and Hildr. "I believe everything is in order here," she said and stifled a yawn. "It is past my bedtime."

Hildr gave Luna a quizzical look. "You sleep during the day?" she asked.

"I am the Princess of the Night, no?" Luna replied with a smile. "I hope to see you both again before you leave for the human world." She looked squarely at Hildr and added, "It was good to meet you Hildr. I found our conversations most enjoyable, if not informative."

Hildr gave a short bow and replied, "Likewise, Your Highness." With a nod of her head, Princess Luna departed.

"Wow. Princess Luna," Sunset remarked.

"I like her," Hildr said simply. Sunset turned and looked up at Hildr in shock. "What? The stone-cold Hildr actually met somepony she can tolerate?" Sunset stood up on her hind legs and crossed her forelegs over her chest. "Stop the presses! This is breaking news!" She then fell on the ground and pretended to faint dead away.

Hildr rolled her eyes in annoyance. "If you're not careful, you'll find yourself off the list."

Sunset jumped back to her feet. "Really?" she asked. "You don't think I'm an annoying pest?"

"I still haven't decided yet," Hildr replied and walked to the door. "Now. I need a large open space that is somewhat secluded. I don't want to cause a scene with my ship."

"Um, sure. I know of a place, but I think we need to fetch Twilight first," Sunset said.

Hildr was confused. "Why? Let the bookworm read her books," she said.

Sunset admitted Hildr had a point. "Well, so we don't waste more time. Once your ship is ready, we can just leave."

"Or, you can show me where to go, you can go and get your friend while I make the changes. They should be done by the time you get back," Hildr said.

"Okay, fine," Sunset pouted. "I kinda wanted to watch you work."

"You mean get in the way?" Hildr replied and Sunset sighed in exasperation. "If that's the way you see it," she grumped and led Hildr out of the training room. As they walked through the castle, Sunset was lost in thought. The plan they had come up with seemed like it would work, but there was still uncertainty. In all of her studies, Sunset had never heard of raw Magic condensing into crystals. And even if they were to find a large concentration of Magic, there was no guarantee they would find what they were looking for. It was a long shot, but that was better than no shot at all.

Sunset also wanted this plan to work for Hildr's sake. Hildr wouldn't like it, but Sunset couldn't help but feel badly for the displaced Guardian. She was still cold and emotionally distant, but having spent so much time with her, Sunset wanted to know more about her. Her likes, dislikes, what she liked to do for fun, if anything. What places she's been to and the things she's seen. Based on what she knew, Sunset figured that much of it wasn't very pleasant.

Hildr frowned. She noticed that Sunset wasn't really going anywhere but wandering around, lost in thought. She was starting to become irritated, something she found was becoming easier as time went on. She had learned long ago that no matter how well thought out, no plan survived first contact. That didn't make it any less upsetting when plans didn't work out. Not that she had a well-thought out plan in the first place. Perhaps the gods of the universe were punishing her for her seemingly impossible idea. This thought irritated her even further. If there was a god, she wanted to punch him, her, whatever, right in the face for making everything so difficult.

Sunset felt a chill roll down her spine and she shivered. Looking back, she saw Hildr scowling and the atmosphere suddenly turned chilly. Sunset shook her head to clear her thoughts. "Sorry. We're almost there," she promised and hurried on ahead.

The castle wasn't very busy, but Hildr noticed they hadn't seen any ponies in passing for quite a while. Just where was Sunset taking her? As if to answer her question, Sunset stopped at a large stained glass door. "If I remember correctly, this should be outdoor arena," Sunset said and pushed through. Hildr walked out into the sunlight and looked around. The arena was horseshoe shaped with high brick walls to protect the spectators. The ground was paved with white stones that must have had some sort of enchantment since they reflected very little sunlight. Right above their heads was a large balcony, most likely for the princesses and their entourage to watch. "What happens here?" Hildr asked.

"Nowadays not much, but from what I've read, there used to be games held here. Stallions would fight and race to show off their prowess and earn glory from the crowds," Sunset replied.

"So this is area is available to the public?" Hildr asked. Sunset shrugged. "Sure, but not for some time. Like I said, much has changed and this area isn't used very often anymore."

Hildr looked over the arena and made some quick calculations. "This should be large enough for my ship," she said and Raven appeared over her shoulder. "How many ships to I have?" she asked.

"Besides your usual ship, there are two others that will suit our needs," Raven replied. He projected a holographic image of the inventory and Hildr frowned. "This one," she said and pointed with her hoof. Raven's eye blinked and his points spun around the central core and a wireframe appeared. After a few moments, the ship fully appeared and Sunset's mouth fell open in awe. "I don't know why I'm still surprised by anything you do," she said.

Hildr snorted. "When miracles become commonplace, they cease to be miracles," she said.

Sunset considered these words and nodded. "Yeah. That kinda makes sense." She walked around the ship to get a better look. It was certainly bigger than Hildr's other ship. It was dark blue and gunmetal gray. Attached under the nose was a rectangular box with two large antennas pointing forward. Attached under each wing was another antenna of similar design. The whole ship looked very aerodynamic except for a large disk attached to the top. "So what kind of ship is this?" Sunset asked.

A ramp dripped down from the belly and Hildr walked up. "This particular style of ship is designed for long range reconnaissance and information gathering," she said. "The large radome on top is used for detecting and classifying energy signatures."

Sunset carefully followed Hildr up the ramp. The inside was quite cramped, but still bigger than Hildr's other ship. In the very front was the pilot seat. Two more seats were behind the pilot and faced outboard to an array of screens, dials, and other indications.

Hildr stood in the middle of it all and frowned. "This might be more difficult than I thought," she huffed.

"Well, the first thing to do would be configure the sensors to track Magic energy," Raven said. "That shouldn't take very long."

"That may be so, but then we need to change the controls to fit ponies," HIldr said and waved her hooves in the air.

Raven hummed to himself. "Not necessarily. We'll have to make adjustments to the seats, but Sunset and Twilight can use their magic to change the settings on the displays. The only thing that will take time is modifying the pilot controls to fit your current needs."

Hildr gave Raven a disapproving look. "You want the ponies to watch the monitors? They don't know what to look for."

Although Raven couldn't roll his eye, Sunset had the feeling that he had just done so. "I can show them how to operate the sensors and what to look for. They both strike me as rather intelligent. I'm sure they can manage."

"Sunset maybe, but that Twilight Sparkle is bound to have a heart attack," Hildr said. She turned to Sunset and added, "Speaking of which, weren't you going to go and find her?"

Snapped out of her trance, Sunset vigorously shook her head. "Yes! Right. I'll go right now. Do you want me to bring anything back?"

"Like what?" Hildr asked.

"Well, it is close to lunch time, so I figured you might be getting hungry," Sunset smiled sheepishly. As if to prove her point, Sunset's own belly spoke up. Hildr dismissed her with a wave. "Do whatever you want." Sunset's face fell a little and she exited the ship. Hildr watched her leave out of the corner of her eye and sighed. "Why don't you just tell her how you feel?" Raven asked.

"What do you think this is, some kind of happy children's cartoon?" Hildr retorted. "Should we sit around and profess our undying friendship for each other?" She shook her head and turned back to what she was doing. Raven sighed and began to reconfigure the ship's sensors. An uncomfortable silence began to fill the ship until finally Hildr exploded in exasperation. "Look. It's not that I dislike Sunset Shimmer. I admit that she's started to grow on me a little. But whatever dynamic we have won't last. After we go back through the portal, we'll never see each other again."

Raven bobbed in agreement. "That is true, however even short time relationships can have lasting effect. You of all people should know that."

"You don't have to keep reminding me," Hildr muttered.

Deciding to press the issue, Raven said, "You know, sometimes I wonder what she's doing."

"Stop," Hildr said, but Raven continued. "Is she still alive? Is she still punching Fallen Captains in the face? Does she still drink and swear like a sailor?"

"I said stop," Hildr replied, more forceful this time.

Raven ignored her. "I liked her. She was fun to be around. Being around you all the time is so depressing and dour."

"I SAID STOP!" Hildr shouted and threw a ball of flame at Raven, who ducked out of the way. The fireball exploded harmlessly against the bulkhead. Raven slowly turned to face his Guardian. "Did…did you just do that?" he asked incredulously.

"So what if I did?" HIldr replied hotly. "I told you to stop, but you continued anyway."

Raven zipped up to HIldr's face. "I've put up with your nonsense for a long time, but this is the last straw. You are my Guardian, for better or worse, and right now is definitely worse. You continually close yourself off from me and others, you threaten me, argue with me, put me down, and actually attempt bodily harm!"

"You have no body," Hildr seethed.

"Then what do you call this?" Raven replied angrily and knocked himself against Hildr's head. "My shell is my physical form and therefore, is my body! You continue to isolate yourself and alienate others. As a self-professed doctor, you of all people should know how bad that is for you. Humans are social creatures and require contact with others. Otherwise, you will severely damage yourself, psychologically and emotionally."

Hildr glared at her Ghost. "So what then, is this a long delayed intervention?"

"I guess it is," Raven said. "And another thing, constantly bottling up your emotions will put undo stress on your body. Your temper is short enough as it is, and you're likely to give yourself a heart attack or aneurism."

"Anything else you want to add?" Hildr asked flatly.

"Not at the moment," Raven huffed. Hildr glared at her Ghost for some time. "Get back to work. The longer this takes, the longer we'll be here."

"Gah!" Raven shouted. "You aren't listening to a word I say!"

HIldr angrily pushed him out of her face. "I am listening. I just don't care because I have other things to worry about, like getting this ship ready to fly!"

Raven shook himself side to side. "Nope. I can't do this right now." He turned and floated toward the exit ramp.

"Where are you going?" HIldr asked.

"Away from you!" Raven replied.

"Well duh," HIldr retorted. "Where in particular?"

"Why does it matter? You'll be here when I get back. It's not like you're going to go anywhere," Raven said and floated away.

Hildr watched him leave and trembled with rage. The fire burned in her chest and she found herself short of breath. She wanted so very badly to lash out and burn everything to the ground, but she held back. Raven did have a point though. Holding in such intense emotions was not healthy and would certainly lead to problems later in life. Hldr took deep breaths to try and calm herself down, to no avail. The worst part was, she didn't know why she was so angry. Raven's words had upset her and she _did_ tell him to stop, but it was much more than that. The smallest things set her off for no apparent reason. Maybe it was the tremendous stress she had seemingly put herself under. Perhaps that was true, but what other choice did she have? Hildr had made her decision and now she had to live with the consequences, even if those consequences were slowly killing her.

Raven's words had the side effect of bringing up unwanted memories: the feel of a warm embrace, the dampness of a kiss, a light touch of rough and calloused hands, the quickening heartbeat of deep affection. Try as she might, Hildr couldn't block them away. The anger was replaced with sadness and regret and a stabbing pain in her heart caused Hildr to fall to the ground. Her vision turned blurry and HIldr closed her eyes tightly, but the tears would not be denied.

* * *

Sunset wandered through the castle and back out into town. She pushed thoughts of Hildr aside and headed toward the library. She remembered the general direction, but so much had changed. New vendors had opened shop, while others closed their doors. There was a certain electricity in the air, and just from watching other ponies, Sunset was under the impression that something was about to happen. Some kind of gathering or festival? She chuckled to herself. Equestria had many festivals throughout the year. It didn't take much of an excuse for ponies to get together and have a party. Sunset wondered what party everyone was preparing for.

She found the library and walked inside. It certainly resembled any library from the human world, but the books were much older and there were no computers. Sunset wandered through the rows and browsed some of the titles. Unlike the human world, there wasn't much diversity in the fiction section. A large portion of these books consisted of adventure, such as Daring Do, or medieval fantasy. A large portion of the library was devoted to non-fiction and reference. Sunset decided to head in that direction.

As she rounded a corner, Sunset found a table piled high with books and scrolls. At first, she didn't think anypony was there, but a book on top of the pile sprouted a pink magical aura and floated down while another took its place. Sunset grinned and walked around the table to find Twilight Sparkle hard at work. She flipped through the pages, carefully scrutinizing every word and making notes. Sunset recognized the single-minded determination. She was often the same way. Not wanting to startle the princess, Sunset gently cleared her throat.

Twilight didn't respond.

Sunset tried again, a little louder this time.

Still no answer.

Sunset snuck up next to Twilight and said, "Twilight?" Twilight's ears twitched, but she was otherwise unresponsive.

Sunset sighed. She contemplated her next action, and was hesitant to make any more noise since they were in the library after all. She put her mouth next to Twilight's ear and said, rather loudly, "Quesadillas!"

Twilight shrieked and fell over, hitting the table as she did so. This disturbed the stack of books which fell over with a loud _CRASH_. Sunset winced and helped Twilight dig herself out. "Sorry about that, but you were in the zone there," Sunset said.

Twilight took several deep breaths to calm down. "Yes, I was. Is something wrong?"

Sunset shook her head. "No, nothing is wrong yet. I came to tell you that Hildr had a better idea than burying yourself old books."

At this, Twilight frowned. "What could be better than that?"

Sunset tried and failed to keep the grin off her face. "Oh, I don't know. How about taking a ride in a space ship?"

At first, Twilight didn't quite comprehend what Susnet said. Realization slowly set in and Twilight's eyes went wide and she opened her mouth. Sunset quickly stuck her hoof in Twilight's face. "Library. Quiet, remember?"

"Hmphhth," Twilight nodded emphatically and Sunset slowly removed her hoof. Twilgiht was so excited, she was practically vibrating. "Okay, slow down a little," Sunset cautioned. "Did you find anything useful?"

"What? Oh. Right," Twilight stuttered and went back to the table. "So I checked Starswirl the Bearded's old journals and writings to see if he ever mentioned anything about Magic crystalizing in physical form. I didn't find anything, but Clover the Clever theorized that certain regions of Equestria, such as Everfree Forest, sit along areas of concentrated Magic."

Sunset thought this over. "Like ley lines?" she surmised.

Twilight nodded. "Precisely. Although he didn't have any way to measure these lines or prove their existence."

Sunset looked to one of the open books on the table and scanned the pages. "You know, Raven said he was able to track and measure Magic energy." She flipped a few pages in the book and showed Twilight a diagram. "You said Clover the Clever didn't have a way to accurately prove his theory, but he did write down the calculations for his formula. I bet that between the two of us, we can narrow down our search. That way we have less area to cover."

Twilight nodded. "Yes! And, if what you say is true, we can use Hildr's technology to accurately map the ley lines of Equestria!"

Twilight's enthusiasm was infectious and Sunset was starting to feel it. "I don't know how accurate Raven's sensors are, but it's a start. And it will have the added benefit of proving if Clover the Clever was right or not."

"Of course he's right! Why wouldn't he be?" Twilight exclaimed, but Sunset chose to remain cautious. Twilight opened her notebook to a new page and the two unicorns began their work. Sunset had always preferred practical application to theory, but she found that she and Twilight worked together very well. The two bounced ideas off each other, and sometimes they disagreed, but by the time they were done, they had developed a rough map to follow along with calculations for Hildr's equipment to measure.

"Wow. That was fun! We should do this more often," Twilight said with a sigh.

"I don't know about that," Sunset replied and rubbed her neck. "Books are more your thing anyway."

"But with this, we have a good place to start," Twilight said. They cleaned up the mess and Sunset helped Twilight put the books away. As they left the library, Sunset looked to the sky and noticed the sun was considerably lower. "Just how long were we in there anyway?" she wondered.

"Oh, a few hours or so. Time flies when you're having fun!" Twilight said with a smile.

Sunset frowned. "I think we should get back. I'm worried about Hildr," she said.

"Why?" Twilight asked. "She's capable of taking care of herself right?"

"Well yes, but you've met HIldr right? I don't want to leave her alone for much longer," Sunset said.

Twilight thought about this and nodded in agreement. As they were walking back, Sunset asked, "So. you and Hildr huh?"

"What about it?" Twilight asked, wrinkling her face.

"Well, I heard you haven't really been getting along," Sunset said. "I was just wondering why."

Twilight closed her eyes and sighed. "I thought things would be different after our talk in Zecora's hut, but I guess not. I think it stems from a difference of opinion and the fact that we come from vastly different backgrounds. I mean, I don't hate Hildr or anything, but I just don't see us getting along."

Sunset nodded. "I know what you mean."

"Well what about you? You don't seem to have any problems dealing with her," Twilight said.

Sunset considered this for a moment. "Sometimes I wonder too. Part of me thinks that the only reason Hildr puts up with me is out of obligation."

"What do you mean?" Twilight asked.

"Well, you know I got hurt pretty bad after we met," Sunset said. "She treated me and said I was her patient. There was some other stuff that happened too." They walked in silence for a while. "I think another part of it is since Hildr came here, I've spent most of my time with her. I think that if you spend so much time with a person, you start to learn things about them." Sunset's face fell and she stared at the ground.

Twilight thought about what Sunset had said. "I may be the Princess of Friendship, but that doesn't mean I know everything about friendship. I'm still learning new things and I realize that this will be a never ending learning experience." She then thought back to her interactions with Hildr. "One thing I have learned, and Hildr reinforced for me, is that it's good to hear opinions different than your own. If you simply listen to the same things over and over, you'll never learn something new or have your beliefs challenged." Twilight made a face and added, "I just wish Hildr would be nicer about it."

Sunset chuckled. "Yeah, but I can't imagine her being any other way. Hildr is pretty blunt and straightforward, but that's a good thing. She tells you what she thinks and why. The only problem is you might not like what she has to say."

The two ponies chatted about their work at the library on the way back to the castle. Sunset opened the door to the arena where Hildr's ship was located and Twilight stopped to stare. Obviously, she had never seen anything like it. Even the technology she saw and experienced in the human world didn't compare to this. Twilight's brain finally engaged and she started to run around the ship, taking notes. Sunset sat back and watched with a big smile on her face. "How are you doing Twilight?" she asked.

"I can't believe it! Everything we have in Equestira can't compare to this!" Twilight exclaimed. "Even the technology in the human world is primitive compared to this! Where did it come from? This makes me want to visit Hildr's world even more!"

"As much as I would like to show you, that would be a horrible idea," Raven said as he floated down the ramp. He turned to Sunset and said, "I see you found Twilight. Certainly took long enough. Did you get lost?"

"You could say that," Sunset replied sheepishly. "I got caught up in helping Twilight with her research."

"Was it productive?" Raven asked and Sunset nodded. "We were able to come up with a rough starting point to search for deposits of concentrated Magic. We also came up with calculations to help tune your equipment."

Raven made a sound like he wasn't impressed. "Oh. I guess I'll take a look then." He floated over to where Twilight was gawking at the engines. "How do these work?" she asked excitedly.

Raven made a humming sound and a thick book appeared on the ground. "Nothing in there is classified, so it shouldn't be too much trouble for you to look through that. It's an operator/tech manual for the ship that I've compiled with help from the Tower's tech support."

Twilight stared in awe at the manual, as if it was made of gold and precious gems. "I can look at this?" she asked.

"Of course," Raven replied. "But in return, I need the notes you and Sunset wrote down from the library."

"Oh! Of course!" Twilight said and pulled out the several pages of notes. Raven looked them over as Twilight tore into the manual. To be honest, Raven was impressed. The calculations were a bit off, but he never considered factoring the rate of tectonic plate drift and the density of the planet's core. He took the numbers from the notes and factored them into his own calculations. He found the results quite surprising and actually proved to be the final missing piece. "I must say, the two of you were quite thorough in your research," he said.

"Well, Twilight IS a magical genius and I WAS a personal student of Princess Celestia," Sunset replied, puffing out her chest with pride.

"I suppose you have a point," Raven said. "Whose idea was it to propose the ley line theory?"

"Actually, that came from Clover the Clever a few hundred years ago in Equestria time," Twilight spoke up. "He traveled all over Equesria and made a note of instances of higher than normal Magic energy. He then mapped them out using calculations similar to these and came up with his theory. However, he had no way to prove it with the means at his disposal at the time." She turned back to the manual and gasped in surprise. "NLS Drive? You mean this ship can travel at light speed?"

"Near light speed, but yes," Raven corrected.

"Wow!" Twilight replied, then frowned. "If that's the case, how do you compensate for time dilation and gravity interference?"

"All local gravity influences in the Solar System are carefully mapped and constantly updated through a network of ground stations and relay satellites," Raven said. "Orbits of the major planets and moons have been known and tracked for years, so traveling to them isn't difficult. And as far as the time dilation problem, it isn't much of a factor, but it does occur. You see, the ship isn't traveling past light speed, but _near_ light speed, which is still really fast. So what the drive does is creates a field around the ship that causes the space around it to accelerate to tremendous speed, but the ship itself isn't actually traveling that much faster. Think of it like a small worm hole."

"I see," Twilight replied. "I still don't quite get it, but that's probably because you have all this really advanced technology. All we have here is magic."

"If you like, I can give you the calculations used for near light speed travel and how the NLS cores work," Raven said.

"Really? That would be amazing!" Twilight exclaimed.

Sunset looked around and frowned. "Hey Raven? Where's Hildr? I haven't seen her around."

At this, Raven became sullen and slowly drifted toward the ground. "After you left, we got into a pretty heated argument. I left because I couldn't stand Hldr anymore, and when I came back, she was gone. I tried looking for her, but decided to get the ship ready in case you came back."

Twilight and Sunset shared a concerned look. "What did you say to her that made her so upset?" Sunset asked.

"I brought up the fact that she constantly pushes others away and closing herself off emotionally will ultimately lead to long lasting problems," Raven said. "I might have also brought up an extremely personal matter and Hildr threatened me with physical violence. That was the last straw for me and I had to give her time to cool off." He sighed and turned to the two ponies. "Are you familiar with metallurgy?" he asked.

Both Twilight and Sunset shook their heads. "I know it has to do with working with and treating metal, but that's about it," Twilight said.

"Well, there's a process known as tempering," Raven explained. "Normally, you harden a metal to increase its toughness, but this also leaves the metal very brittle. Tempering is a process where the metal is then reheated to just below its critical point and allowed to cool. This reduces hardness of the metal, but makes it less brittle and prone to breaking under stress."

"And what does this have to do with anything?" Twilight asked.

Raven sighed. "I believe that Hildr is at or beyond her breaking point. She has been under a tremendous amount of stress and this little side adventure has only expounded the problem. Hildr is naturally a very stubborn person, and because of that, she doesn't handle change very well."

Sunset remembered what she saw from HIldr's memories and nodded. "I accidently saw some of HIldr's memories. There was a group of people, I think they were called Iron Lords?" Raven nodded. "In the memory, she didn't seem especially close to them, but she was pretty upset when most of them died."

"I remember," Raven said sadly. "That, among other things, has shaped Hildr into the person she is today."

"So what is it then?" Twilight asked. "What's driving her to do these things? Regret?"

"I'm not sure. Possibly," Raven admitted. "I may be her Ghost, but I don't understand everything that goes on in her head."

The three of them stood around in a circle, each left to their own thoughts and not saying anything. Finally Twilight spoke up. "Is there anything we can do to help her?"

"Right now? At this moment? Find a way to gain access to the Vex network," Raven admitted. "Other than that? Be there for her, support her, but she absolutely detests pity."

"I think we can work with that," Twilight said and Sunset nodded. "Now we just need to find her."

* * *

White. Everything was white. It was an odd sensation. Hildr knew she was standing on the ground, but with no discernable lighting source or shadows of any kind, it was hard to discern if she was in a small room or if the white extended to infinity. She looked down and saw she was back in her normal body. Hildr also noticed she was wearing her usual armor. As if playing with a new toy, Hildr wiggled her fingers and moved her hands around. She then patted herself down, feeling her body, touching her face and running her fingers through her hair. Finally satisfied this was indeed her real body, Hildr turned her attention to her surroundings.

At first, Hildr wondered what she should do. There was no horizon and no way to judge distances. Should she try to explore? Should she stay where she was? Ultimately she felt her annoyance building, so she picked a direction and started walking, her footsteps echoing quietly.

How long had she been here? Hildr had no sense of time, so she didn't know. Where was she going? With no visible landmarks, it was anyone's guess. Her mind began to wander until everything boiled down to one question: Why? Wasn't that the ultimate question? Why is the grass green? Why is the sky blue? Why do we do what it is we do? To bring the question to a more immediate standing, why was she walking?

Hildr stopped and considered this. With no purpose or clear direction, why was she walking? What benefit would it bring? One answer would be that she wasn't standing still. At least she was taking matters into her own hands and trying to do _something._ Moving was certainly better than being stationary, wasn't it? But then, what's the difference between moving for the sake of moving, and moving with a purpose? Maybe that was the problem. Simply by moving for the sake of not remaining still, you were bound to miss things in your surroundings.

Hildr felt a presence behind her, but didn't turn around. She didn't need to. She knew who it was.

"So. This is a thing," a new female voice spoke up.

Hildr felt a sharp pain in her heart and struggled to keep her face a neutral mask. "Why are you here?" she finally asked.

Hildr heard a sigh and footsteps as the newcomer drew closer. "You know, I'm not really sure. If I had to guess, it's because I'm supposed to be here."

Hildr huffed and rolled her eyes. "Typical."

The newcomer shrugged her shoulders. "What do you expect? I ain't exactly what you call a smart person. You of all people should know my usual response to a problem is just punch it in the face." To emphasize her point, she smacked her armored fist into her hand and made a satisfying _THWACK._

"I'm well aware of your aptitude for violence," Hildr replied. "You are a Titan after all."

"And I wouldn't have it any other way!" she responded. She sighed and stepped forward, putting her hands on her hips. Hildr looked up and saw only the back of her onetime lover. She stood tall, wearing red and white plate armor of a newer, sleeker design than Hildr's own cloth, leather and chainmail armor. She was a physically imposing woman with shoulder length red hair that matched her armor. However, this was not the same woman Sunset witnessed in her memories. Hildr thought to their last meeting, and a wave of anger and guilt washed over her.

They stood like that for a moment until the red haired woman spoke. "So. Why did you do it?"

"Because I thought it was the right thing to do," Hildr answered.

"Is that really what you think?" the woman asked in reply.

"What other reason would there be?" Hildr asked crossly. "Are you going to stand there and say that I had some ulterior motive?"

The woman shook her head. "I know you're a Warlock and Warlocks are supposed to be pretty smart and stuff, but even I'm amazed at how dumb you can be sometimes."

At this, Hildr's anger flared and her eyes began to burn. "If you have something to say, then say it! I have no patience for games."

The woman chuckled. "Ah yes, the Valkyrie's legendary temper. You know I used to think that your rage, not Solar energy, fueled your Sunsinger abilities."

"Get to the point!" Hildr demanded.

The woman shook her head. "I don't think I'm the one trying to convince you of anything, rather you're the one running from the truth."

Hildr wanted to lash out, but it wouldn't do her any good. She clenched her fists and realized her old friend was right. "I know what the truth is, but that doesn't mean I have to like it," she said.

"If that's the case, doesn't that make you a hypocrite?" the woman asked. "All this talk of keeping the past in the past and looking only to the future, yet you are the one with the heaviest chains."

"What would you have me do?" Hildr shouted. "I told them! I did everything in my power to stop them, but the stubborn fools would not listen! They deserved everything that happened to them!"

"Is that really what you think?" the woman asked.

Hildr took a deep breath and let it out, along with most of the anger. Regret quickly filled the void as she replied, "No."

The woman sighed. "I get it. Really, I do. We Guardians are blessed with near immortality. We stop aging, or at least aging is considerably slowed. We have the potential to live for centuries. And for what? To fight endless hordes of enemies for the sake of humanity? It's a wonder we're not all crazy." She cocked her head to the side and added, "Or maybe we are?"

"So what are you saying?" Hildr asked. "That everything I've said and done is just to cover up the fact that I just…ran away?" The words didn't feel right in HIldr's mouth and she spat on the ground for effect. "I didn't run away, although I can see why you would think that. I just…wanted to find a better way."

"By using the Vex Network to travel back in time to steal the SIVA programming codes?" the woman asked.

"I never said it was a good idea," Hildr muttered.

The woman sighed and vigorously rubbed her head. "I'm probably the worst person to try and explain all this since I don't really get it myself. Say you actually succeed with your plan. Then what? What will you do?"

Hildr's mouth moved, but her mind couldn't quite formulate the words to get her thoughts out. "My first thought was to go with them. Go to Rasputin and prevent the tragedy," she managed to say.

"And would that have worked?" the woman asked.

"How should I know?" Hildr exasperated. "I don't even know if this whole crazy plan would work! I just had to do _something._ "

"Because something is better than nothing?" the woman asked. "Didn't you just try to convince yourself that sometimes it is better to do nothing?" Hildr's response was to glare at the back of the woman's head. "But what are you afraid of?" the woman asked suddenly.

Hildr was surprised by the question and taken aback. "What I'm afraid of?" she asked.

"That's what I asked, isn't it?" the woman replied matter-of-factly.

Hildr knew the truth, but didn't want to say it. She refused to say it. It was silly, but if she gave voice to her deepest fear, then it became tangible. It became a _thing._ It would become real, and then she would have to deal with it and face it. Ignorance was bliss.

The woman sighed. "Are you really going to make me do it?" she asked. She turned to the side, but kept her head facing away. After a moment, she held her hand out.

Hildr stared at the offered hand as the separate emotions roiled in her stomach. She shook her head and silently cursed herself. There was no reason for her to be acting like a young school girl on a date with her crush. Memories began to flash through Hildr's mind and she stated to hate herself for it. She also started to grow angry at herself for feeling this way, angry at her friend for showing up in this place and forcing her to relive painful memories. With a snarl, Hildr grabbed her hand and held it tightly.

The woman winced a little. "Are you trying to break my hand?"

Hildr said nothing and stared defiantly ahead. The effect was lessened by the fact they were both wearing gloves. The woman spoke up, saying, "You never were one to show emotion, other than anger or annoyance."

"And for good reason," HIldr replied. "Showing emotion is weakness and there are those who would take advantage of such weakness."

"Or, some people simply use it as a coping mechanism so they won't get hurt," the woman replied. She gave Hildr's hand a slight squeeze and added, "I think we both know which one you are."

HIldr's face began to burn with embarrassment. "I told you this wouldn't work, you stubborn fool."

"And because I am a stubborn fool, I never gave up on you," the woman replied.

Hildr slowly relaxed and let her arms drop. "Everyone I've ever cared about either died or left me behind. Eventually you get to the point where it's easier to wall yourself off and push everyone away."

"And how is that anyway to live?" the woman asked. "It's unavoidable that you will intentionally or unintentionally hurt others and be hurt by others. That's simply how it is, how relationships work."

Hildr glared at the floor. "You think I don't know that? I'm acutely aware of the Hedgehog's Dilemma and what that entails."

The woman chuckled to herself. "But I don't see you pulling your hand away."

"What do you want from me?" Hildr shouted. "What more can I do? I'm tired of everything. Tired of running, tired of being angry all the time, tired of being tired." Hildr slumped to her knees. "I'm tired of feeling weak and acting like an angsty teenager." Her eyes began to blur. "I hate this. I hate feeling this way."

Hildr felt a pair of strong arm wrap around her and hold her close. "It's impossible for anyone to be strong all the time," the woman said. "Even for Iron Lords and even for someone like me."

"I was never an Iron Lord," Hildr mumbled. "I was barely associated with them."

"But they knew you and respected you," the woman replied. "Lord Saladin made an offer many times for you to join them, but you were too stubborn to accept."

Hildr sighed and rested her forehead against the woman's armored shoulder. "So you think I should just give up what I'm doing?" she asked.

"I'm not here to tell you what to think," the woman said. She stood up and helped Hildr to her feet. "All I can do is be a shoulder to cry on and tell you when you're being silly." She put her hand on the back of Hildr's neck and touched her forehead to Hildr's.

Hildr closed her eyes and the woman was gone, leaving her alone again. Hildr opened her eyes and sighed. Why did it always come to this? Was this her punishment for her actions, to always be alone? Hildr didn't think this was true. She hated to admit it, but her friend had been right and she couldn't ignore it anymore. Hildr started to become annoyed with herself for overthinking her current situation.

Hildr felt another presence and rolled her eyes. "I'm pretty sure the last thing I need right now is a magical pony princess invading my dreams," she said irritably.

"Forgive me if you think I am invading your privacy," Princess Luna spoke up.

Hildr turned and glared at her. "Oh you certainly are."

Luna narrowed her eyes and looked Hildr over. "So. I assume this is your true form?"

Hildr looked down at herself and nodded. "But why are you here? I thought you were sleeping?"

Luna nodded. "I am. Dreams are my responsibility after all."

Hildr rolled her eyes and shrugged. "Is there something in particular you want to talk about?"

Luna shook her head and sat down. "I sensed your dream was full of turmoil and I wanted to see if I could help."

Hildr knelt before Luna and said, "This is still a gross invasion of my privacy. Is this how you treat all the ponies?"

Luna nodded. "As I have said before, it is my duty to help my subjects with their dreams."

"By invading their privacy?" Hildr pressed. "This is a serious problem! How has no one taken issue with this before? You could blackmail the entire kingdom, or worse."

Luna gave Hildr a questioning look and cocked her head to the side. "Interesting. I have never thought of that. To an outsider who is unfamiliar with our ways, I suppose one could take issue with it."

Hildr sighed with frustration. "Being in the position you are in, doesn't all of this seem like a burden to you?"

Luna shook her head. "It is not troublesome to me at all. I have been gone for so long and so much has changed that I am glad to help ponies in one of the few ways that my sister cannot."

"Aren't you afraid of regressing back into Nightmare Moon?" HIldr asked.

Luna gave some thought to this before replying. "There is no difference between myself and Nightmare Moon. When those dark thoughts start to surface, I have the love of my sister and those I consider my friends to rely on."

Hildr looked down to the ground. "I see," she replied. "How much did you see before coming here?"

"Very little," Luna admitted. "I witnessed your friend departing as I arrived."

Hildr let out a small sigh of relief. "It's not that I don't trust you Princess, but I don't know you well enough to bare my deepest darkest secrets."

"Nor would I expect you to," Luna replied. "However, it seems that it has had quite an effect on you."

Hildr merely nodded in reply. "I don't mean to be rude, but I think my nap has gone on long enough. There is much I still need to accomplish here."

Luna nodded in understanding. "I thank you for being civil despite my intrusion into your thoughts."

"Oh, I'm still pretty mad," Hildr replied. She rose to her feet and quickly vanished, leaving Luna alone.

* * *

Hildr opened her eyes and groaned. She slowly rose to her feet and shook herself all over to try and get the blood flowing again. It was then Hildr realized she was still in Equestria and still a pony. She sighed heavily and took note of her surroundings. She was laying under a tree in the center of a large courtyard. Behind her was the entrance back to the arena where her ship was. The rest of the courtyard was ringed with high walls and closed down vendor stalls. From the look of things, this space hadn't seen use for some time. The sound of wood creaking on cobblestones caught Hildr's attention and she noticed a young unicorn wearing a blue cape and large pointy wizard hat pulling a wooden cart. She watched as the unicorn stopped to set up her cart.

Hildr was intrigued, but she wasn't quite sure why. Why would a pony she's never met spark her interest? By all accounts, she should get up and head back to her ship. Surely by now, Raven was looking for her. She then thought back to her dream. Perhaps this was one of those times she should just stop and observe.

The unicorn finished setting up her cart and Hildr realized it was some sort of stage. Taking this into account, along with the unicorn's costume, Hildr decided she must be some kind of magician or performer. Hildr rose to her feet and walked over. "Hello," she called out.

"Eep!" the unicorn startled and jumped in surprise. Hildr stopped and waited for her to calm down. "Who are you? Where did you come from?" the unicorn asked.

"My name is Hildr. I'm just passing through," Hildr replied. "Are you some kind of magician?"

At this, the unicorn's eyes lit up and she puffed out her chest proudly. "But of course! The Great and Powerful Trixie stands before you, the greatest and most powerful magician in all of Equestria!" The Great and Powerful Trixie rolled the 'r' in her name for effect.

Hildr winced inwardly. Her delivery was a bit cringy, but she couldn't fault the little unicorn. "I see. Well, Great and Powerful Trixie, what brings you to Canterlot?" she asked.

Trixie tossed her head vainly, swishing her mane in the breeze. "The Great and Powerful Trixie was invited to perform at the first ever Friendship Festival!"

Hildr nodded her head. "Clearly a great honor," she said.

"But of course!" Trixie replied. "One cannot have an important festival without the Great and Powerful Trixie to perform. It would simply be a crime otherwise."

"Tell me, Great and Powerful Trixie, what sort of big surprise do you have instore?" Hildr asked as she sat down.

"Ah ha! The Great and Powerful Trixie sees what you are trying to do!" Trixie replied and pointed at Hildr in dramatic fashion. "You are trying to get me to tell my secrets! Alas! You will fail!"

Hildr sighed. "I would never do such a thing, oh Great and Powerful Trixie."

About that time, Raven showed up with Twilight and Sunset in tow. "I really don't understand your fear of melted cheese and flatbread," he said.

Twilight suppressed a shudder. "It's just…so much… _cheese._ "

Sunset gave Twilight a questioning look. "I'm with Raven on this one. I just don't get it."

Raven looked up and finally noticed Hildr. "Oh. There you are." He hesitated for a moment before slowly approaching Hildr. "So. Is everything okay?" he asked carefully.

Hildr replied with a curt nod. "For now."

Twilight noticed Trixie and stopped in her tracks. "Trixie. What are you doing here?"

Trixie tossed her head back and smiled haughtily. "Well hello, Princess Twilight. Imagine Trixie's surprise at meeting you here. Trying to learn my most amazing secrets?"

Twilight simply stared at Trixie. "Um, no, actually. Besides, I thought you were past all of this. And where is Starlight Glimmer?"

Trixie shrugged her shoulders. "We're not tied at the hoof, so I don't know where Starlight is. And past all what? Trixie has always been Trixie."

Twilight groaned and rubbed her head. "Why does this have to happen now?"

"I agree!' Trixie exclaimed. "You interrupted my performance for this strange pony I've never seen before."

Twilight and Sunset both stared at Hildr. "What is she talking about?" Sunset asked.

"We were discussing her performance for an upcoming celebration," Hildr replied simply. "Since she is a stage magician and I am an audience, I was under the impression that she was going to put on a little show." Hildr turned back to Trixie and stared down at her.

Trixie's bravado cracked slightly under Hildr's unrelenting gaze, but she cleared her throat and quickly put on airs. "Indeed! The Great and Powerful Trixie will now give you a small taste of what to expect from the big performance!" Trixie stomped on the ground and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

When the smoke cleared, spotlights revealed Trixie on her stage and she performed a few of her tricks and illusions. Twilight rolled her eyes at the show, but Sunset's attention was on Hildr. She became apprehensive at Hildr's seemingly unresponsiveness to the performance. Sunset secretly hoped that Hildr wouldn't say anything terrible to Trixie.

With a final flourish, Trixie performed her last trick and made a sweeping bow. Twilight faked a smile as best as she could and both she and Sunset clapped. "Yay. Great show," Sunset replied uncertainly. She quickly turned her attention to Hildr to catch her reaction.

At first, Hildr didn't move, but to Sunset and Twilight's surprise, an approving look appeared on Hildr's face and she clapped her hooves. "Bravo. Well done," she said.

Sunset's jaw hit the ground and Twilight could only stare in shock. "You…you liked the show?" Twilight asked incredulously.

Hildr gave them a curious look. "Why wouldn't I?" she replied. "It is clear to me that the Great and Powerful Trixie's talent is stage magic. And since both of you have told me that a pony's special talent is often tied to their livelihood, who am I to inhibit her calling? She's an entertainer. I was entertained. She did her job. Who am I to argue with that?"

"But…but she's so… _Trixie_ ," Twilight sputtered.

Hildr narrowed her eyes and rose to her full height. "I think I see where this is going. Your problem isn't with Trixie herself, but with her boastful attitude, correct?"

Twilight only stared back in response. Hildr sighed. "Let me guess. Once upon a time, Trixie came to Ponyville to put on her little show, you took offense to her bragging and outlandish claims, something happened, Twilgiht saved the day, and Trixie ran away in shame." She then looked to Trixie, who started to look rather uncomfortable. "Am I wrong?"

"Not exactly," Trixie admitted. "Everything would have been fine, but a couple of colts mistook my words and put the town in danger. Of course, Twilight saved the day, but I was practically run out of town."

"Because your bragging put the town in danger!" Twilight responded.

"But that was a long time ago and everyone has moved on from that," Trixie quickly said. She frowned and added, "Or so I thought."

Hildr turned her attention back to Twilight. "Do you not understand how showmanship works? Theatrics and grandiose claims are all part of the act, to draw attention and keep the audience engaged. Otherwise, who would want to see a mopey and depressing act? The whole point is to have fun and be amazed at the performance. If you can't understand that, then I really don't know what to tell you."

"I don't have a problem with it," Twilight defended herself. "What I DO have a problem with is the fact that lives were put in danger due to a misunderstanding."

"And rightfully so, but didn't you say the culprits were young children? It really is no surprise they took Trixie's claims to heart," Hildr said. She turned back to Trixie and said, "I really did like your show. Unfortunately, I don't think I will be around to catch the main event."

"Oh," Trixie replied sadly. "And here I was hoping I'd found a pony who actually understood what I was about." She shook her head and her aura of grandeur returned. "Fear not! The Great and Powerful Trixie assures you that her performance at the Festival of Friendship will be her finest yet!"

Hildr merely nodded and turned to go back to her ship. After a moment, Twilight and Sunset ran to catch up.

* * *

 _Twilight,_

 _Are these journal entries really that necessary? I mean, we've been able to meet face to face and hold meaningful conversations. I really am glad to talk to you face-to-face. We should do it more often. Now that I've reestablished my relationship with Princess Celestia, coming back to Equestria doesn't bother me as much. But at this point, I've become used to writing my thoughts down and it has a therapeutic quality to it._

 _I've suspected it for some time, but I guess it really is true that ponies here have counterparts in the human world. And yes, that means I have a Trixie as well, and she's pretty much the same. However, hearing what Hildr said put it in a different perspective. Don't get me wrong, Trixie is still a braggart and can be quite frustrating to deal with sometimes, but I think we have to realize that some of it is part of her act as an entertainer. And before you ask, yes, I was mean to my Trixie as well, and sabotaged her chances of appearing on a television talent show. I really wish I could take that one back._

 _Most people just dismiss Trixie as an annoying blowhard, but maybe there is more to it than that. I'm not saying that she has issues she's compensating for, but perhaps we shouldn't be so quick to dismiss her outright. I'll have to think about this a little more._

 _I forgot to mention, how is Starlight Glimmer? I only met her the one time, but she seemed like an interesting pony. We got along okay and she was a big help during that thing with the mirror. Oops. Did I ever say anything about that? We'll get into that later._

 _I should warn you though, try not to freak out about Hildr's spaceship. She already thinks you're going to give yourself a heart attack from excitement. Let's prove her wrong, shall we?_

 _Always yours,_

 _Sunset Shimmer_


	13. Where the Heart is

Hildr led the way back to her ship and quickly walked up the ramp. Sunset followed, but Twilight couldn't help but stop and stare. "I just can't wrap my mind around it all," she exclaimed breathlessly. "It makes me wonder if the portal can still open to other worlds. I'm curious about Princess Celestia's journeys."

"Hey! Hurry up Twilight or we'll leave without you!" Sunset called out.

Twilight shook her head and ran up the ramp. "Don't leave me behind!" she cried out. When she arrived at the top of the ramp, Twilight carefully took note of her surroundings. Sunset was already buckled into a chair facing to the right, while Hildr was up in the cockpit. Twilight's eyes traced over the cables, pipes, and different sized displays. The interior was a bit cramped and she had to squeeze her way through a maze of storage crates, accidently knocking one over and spilling its contents all over the floor. "What are these?" Twilight asked.

Raven appeared and looked to where Twilight was pointing. "Those are engrams," he said. "Engrams are a type of crystal that is encoded with armor or weapon patterns."

"So like a type of storage device?" Twilight asked. She bent down to investigate one of the engrams near her feet. It was about the size of a soccer ball and she noted it had ten sides. The engram was also a vibrant purple color. "Why are they different colors? Does that mean the patterns they hold are different?" she asked.

Raven nodded. "It has to do with the rarity and quality of the pattern. White engrams are of the lowest quality, followed by green, blue, purple, and gold. Gold engrams hold the rarest and most powerful gear you can find."

"I see," Twilight said. Raven scanned the engrams and they appeared back in the box. "I think you'd better sit down now. We're ready to go," he said.

"Oh. Right," Twilight replied sheepishly and climbed into the empty seat. She then looked down in confusion. "Um, how do I buckle myself in?" she mumbled. Twilight glanced around her seat and finally noticed the lap and shoulder belts. Between her hind legs was the buckle and Twilight quickly figured out the rest. Once the last belt was locked in place, she called out, "Okay, I'm buckled in."

"Good. I was starting to wonder," Hildr called out from the cockpit. Twilight turned her attention to the screen in front of her and the giddiness started to overcome her and she had a hard time sitting still. "This is so exciting!" she squealed.

"Yeah, tell me about it," Sunset added with a smile. "The last time, I was stuck in a tiny seat behind Hildr, so I didn't get to see very much."

The screen in front of Twilight flickered to life and lines of code quickly filled the screen. Twilight tried in vain to catch it all. "What does it say?" she asked.

"Oh, that's just the system booting up and running a self-diagnostic to verify everything is working properly," Raven said. Sunset noticed similar lines of code appearing on her screen and on the smaller ones as well.

A gong tone filled the compartment as the user interface appeared onscreen, revealing lines of data and graphs. Raven floated his way to Twilight's console and shot a beam of light into the I/O port. "Give me a few seconds to upload program and search parameters," Raven mumbled. When this was done, he went to Sunset's console and did the same thing. When he was done, the graphs changed and new lines of data appeared. "We're ready back here," Raven called out.

Hildr didn't reply, instead the ship floated into the air for a few brief moments before rocketing into the atmosphere.

Unprepared for Hildr's sudden acceleration, Twilight and Sunset were slammed sideways into their chairs. "Oof. Was that necessary?" Sunset grunted.

"Sorry. I forgot you were back there," Hildr said and made a few adjustments. The pressure eased up and the two ponies readjusted themselves. "You did that on purpose. Again," Sunset called out accusingly.

"No comment," Hildr replied. Sunset frowned and Twilight rubbed her shoulder.

"Raven, show them how to operate the sensors and change the displays," Hildr called out.

Raven rolled his eye and turned his attention to Twilight and Sunset. "First things first, these controls are designed for human hands, so you'll have some difficulty with fine adjustments. However, both of you have telekinesis magic, so just use that to manipulate the dials and switches," he said. He spent the next few minutes showing the two ponies how things worked and let them play around to get a feel for everything.

"Hey. You two want to come up here for a moment?" Hildr called out. Frowning, Twilight and Sunset shared a look before unbuckling their harnesses and heading to the cockpit. They squeezed beside Hildr and she pointed out the window. "Have a look."

Twilight gasped. Sunset had seen a similar view before and it still took her breath away. Before them was a blue and green marble wrapped with white clouds, suspended in space. The sun was off to the right, placing a small sliver of the planet in shadow. The stars shone brightly in the distance and Twilight felt a bit of vertigo as she tried to comprehend the vast distances involved.

Sunset was in awe. The resemblance between this planet and the ones the humans occupied was uncanny and it made her feel uneasy for some reason. She shook her head to push those thoughts aside. "This is incredible," she said.

"I...I don't know what to say," Twilight stammered. "This changes a lot of what I thought I knew." A notebook and pencil appeared and she began furiously scribbling notes.

"Hey! Focus!" Hildr said sharply. "I understand your desire to absorb as much information as you can, but that's not what we're here for, is it?"

Twilight sighed and put her notebook away. "No," she admitted.

Hildr rolled her eyes. "You know, the quicker we get this done, the quicker we can do a bit of exploring."

Twilight perked up. "Really?"

"Only if we finish what we set out to do," Hildr warned. Twilight nodded enthusiastically and rushed back to her seat.

"I do have a question though," Sunset spoke up.

"What?" Hildr asked.

"Well, I didn't really notice it last time, but if we're in space, how is there still gravity?" Sunset asked. "I doubt a ship of this size has the necessary mass to create its own gravitational field."

"And you would be correct," Hildr replied. "This particular ship has an artificial gravity generator. It's not much, but it prevents unsecured objects and talking ponies from haphazardly floating around."

"Oh. I see," Sunset replied and returned to her seat.

Hildr piloted closer to the planet as Raven explained what was happening. "So the first thing we are doing is orbiting the planet to get a baseline of its surface and features to build a model in the computers," he said. "Once this is done, we'll start mapping the Magic energy fields, provided the calculations are correct and the sensors are calibrated."

"How long will the initial scans take?" Sunset asked.

"That depends how fast we fly and how big the planet is," Raven said. "A normal Earth orbit takes around ninety minutes, but your planet is a bit smaller and we can go a lot faster, so half an hour or so?"

"So we're looking at two hours just to get everything set up?" Twilight asked and Raven nodded. "We could go faster, but the scans wouldn't be as accurate."

Twilight settled back in her chair and stared at her screen. It was a bit overwhelming at first and she could feel her brain start to fizzle, but Twilight mostly understood what was happening and how it worked. "Do you think we could develop technology like this?" she wondered out loud.

Sunset shrugged. "Hard to say. Since we have Magic, there hasn't been a real need to develop advanced technology."

"I suppose you're right," Twilight said. "And even if we could, we'd have to get help with the development from an outside source, such as the human world."

"To add onto that, I don't think a majority of ponies would support such an effort anyway," Sunset said. "They would see it as unnecessary, since Magic exists."

Twilight frowned. "I'm sure there are a few ponies who would support such a project," she said.

"True," Sunset admitted, "but they would be few and far between. How would you justify a huge expense of money and treasure for such a niche and little-known project?"

"You can't remain ignorant forever," Twilight argued. "Science and Magic are constantly evolving, taking everypony toward the future, whether they like it or not."

"I don't disagree with you Twilight, but you would face a lot of opposition. People, even ponies, are hesitant to change, especially grand and life-altering change. I think it would cause more problems than it would solve," Sunset replied.

"But if that were the case, ponies would still be living under the old feudal system, like it was before the first Hearths's Warming Eve," Twilight said. "Can you really say that things haven't gotten better because of changes to our thinking and way of life?"

"But at what cost?" Sunset asked. "I admit that the pony way of life is vastly different and some would say better, every new idea replaces an old one, and not always for the better. At what point does the advance of civilization become detrimental to its population?"

"That's not a very good argument," Twilight countered. "Ideas and techniques are replaced because a faster, better, cheaper way was found and implemented. Can you really say that ponies were better off living on farms, struggling to make a living?"

"That depends on who you ask," Sunset said. "Apple Jack, or any Apple for that matter would say that growing up on the farm was more important than fancy city living. Rarity on the other hand, is a city girl through and through. The thought of getting dirty and hard labor is unfathomable for her."

"That may be so, but even the Apples would say that managing the farm is easier now than in the past," Twilight said.

Sunset sighed. "Listen Twilight. I understand your passion and share your thirst for knowledge, but you can't expect to drag everypony kicking and screaming into the future. Balance is a delicate thing. If you upset it too much, everything might come crashing down around you."

Twilight frowned and crossed her forelegs. "I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree on this then."

Sunset shook her head. "I'm not disagreeing with you. I just want you to see the big picture."

"Well, it's not like any of this affects you since you'll be returning to the human world," Twilight said.

Sunset was shocked. "What is that supposed to mean? You do realize that anything that happens here affects the human world too, right? And how dare you say this doesn't affect me. I might not live here anymore, but this is my home, and you are my friend right? I care about my friends and I don't want anything to happen to them."

Twilight sighed. "You're right. That was wrong for me to say and I apologize."

Sunset turned back to her screen and watched as a wireframe globe slowly filled in. Making a few adjustments, she zoomed to look at what the sensors were seeing. Unfortunately, they were currently flying over a vast desert that wasn't very exciting to look at. Sunset moved the globe to look at the previously scanned area. She frowned and zoomed in on a particular mountain. "Hey Twilight, do you recognize this?" she asked.

Twilight appeared over her shoulder and looked at the screen. "From this angle, I'm not really sure. If I had to guess, I'd say it's Mount Aris."

"Where the hippogriffs live?" Sunset asked and Twilight nodded. "We haven't heard from them in a long time. I hope everything is okay."

Twilight went back to her seat, leaving Sunset to her thoughts. Meanwhile, Hildr listened to Sunset and Twilight's conversation. Listening to Twilight's push for advancing knowledge and Sunset's argument against pushing boundaries reminded her of when the Traveler first appeared. While the majority of humanity saw the good the Traveler had done, a small but vocal minority vehemently opposed the Traveler. After the Collapse, those naysayers certainly would have said "I told you so," if they weren't all dead. Even now, people blamed the Traveler for the Collapse. Maybe they were right.

Hildr looked down at her status panel and saw the initial scans of the planet were complete. "Hey, we're done circling the planet. Get ready to start mapping," she called out. When Twilight and Sunset gave their acknowledgement, Hildr steered closer to the planet and entered the atmosphere. She wasn't sure if any pegasus could reach their current altitude, but she kept a close eye out anyway.

Raven hovered between Twilight and Sunset. "Okay. You two have the most important job, and that is to sit there and stare at the screen."

Twilight frowned. "How is that important?" she asked.

"The computer can display and organize the data, but that data needs to be interpreted. That's where the two of you come in," Raven said. "What good is scientific analysis if no one does the analysis part?"

Twilight was still unconvinced. "It still doesn't sound very useful."

"Not everything does," Raven explained. "When building a house, the carpenter's apprentice might not feel appreciated for pounding nails all day, but without the nails, the house wouldn't be built. That's what we're doing right now, pounding nails. It won't make much sense now, but when we're done, we'll have a big beautiful house."

"If you don't like it, I can always take you back to your castle," Hildr said from the cockpit.

Twilight vigorously shook her head. "No, I'll stay." She said hurriedly.

Sunset chuckled to herself and adjusted her display. The center displayed a small ship icon in the center from a top down view with the ground passing beneath. The rest of the screen was a light blue color. Sunset turned a dial and the screen zoomed out. She zoomed all the way out and saw that the blue box represented the area already scanned for magic. She leaned back and sighed. "This is going to take forever."

Twilight leaned forward and squinted at her screen. "Hmm. I think I have something," she said. Raven appeared over her shoulder as Twilight pointed. "It's faint, but the signature matches our predictions."

Raven hummed to himself. "So it seems." He gave Twilight an approving rub on the head and added, "Good job. If all else fails, we have proof of concept for tracking and analyzing Magic." Twilight beamed proudly.

"Hildr, I recommend coming to the left to follow this trace," Raven said. Hildr huffed to herself and piloted the ship in the direction Raven indicated. Sure enough, the trace on the screen became stronger, displayed by a solid particle line. Before long, both Twilight and Sunset's displays were fuzzed out. "Just so you know, we're passing over Canterlot," Hildr called out.

"Oh. Well that makes sense then," Susnet said. "The sensors are probably tracking Princess Celestia and Princess Luna's Magic."

Raven was at a loss for words. "I figured the princesses had higher Magic levels than normal ponies since, well, they're magical princesses, but I never would have imagined something like this."

Twilight and Sunset were awestruck as well. "Yeah. I guess we kinda take it for granted just how powerful the princess really are. And by that I mean ALL of the princesses," Sunset said. Twilight said nothing and looked down at her hooves.

Hildr continued over Canterlot and the sensors recovered from the overload. Time passed quickly as the main continent of Equestria was scanned. "Should we keep going or do we have enough data?" Sunset asked.

"That's up to you," Raven said. "At this rate, we could be done with the whole planet by late afternoon. However, that wouldn't leave us much time to figure out where to go and find what we need."

Twilight and Sunset shared a look, then glanced up to the cockpit. Hildr was surprisingly quiet and Sunset wondered what she was thinking about. "Let's call it good for now," Twilight said. "We've already surpassed my wildest dreams for this project and anything else is just icing on the cake."

A tabletop rose out of the deck between Sunset and Twilight with a projector in the middle. Once it was fully raised, Raven interacted with the projector and a 3D image of the planet was displayed. "Obviously this is the planet the ponies live on," he said. The picture zoomed in on the Equestria continent and flattened out.

"Hey! This looks like the Cutie Map in my castle!" Twilight exclaimed.

"Uh, Cutie Map?" Raven asked and looked at Twilight in confusion. "Do I even want to know what that is?"

"It's not bad or anything," Twilight said. "Whenever the map senses a friendship problem, our cutie marks are displayed at the location with the problem. For example, my friends and I were summoned to a remote village where ponies had their cutie marks removed. That's how we met Starlight Glimmer."

"That's…interesting," Raven said. "Based on what you told me about the importance of cutie marks, why would ponies willingly give them up?"

Twilight sighed. "The story is kinda long and complicated but basically, Starlight Glimmer convinced a small town of ponies that by giving up their cutie marks, they would all be equal with nopony above anypony else, that being unique was something to be frowned upon. She said that ponies could only truly be happy by being the same."

"Well obviously that didn't work," Raven said and Twilight nodded. "We ruined Starlight Glimmer's plan, and as a result, she used a time travel spell to get revenge on my friends and I." Twilight fiddled with her hooves. "Of all the threats to Equestria that I have ever faced, Starlight Glimmer was probably the most dangerous."

"In what way?" Sunset asked.

Twilight looked up with sadness in her eyes. "Nothing against you Sunset, but Starlight Glimmer proved to be my equal in magic in nearly every way. Every time I tried to restore the timeline, she was always one step ahead to stop me."

Sunset sat back and thought about what Twilight had said. "Let me guess. Altering the past created multiple futures with different outcomes?" Twilight nodded. "How many timelines did you witness?" Sunset asked.

"Countless," Twilight said. "There are a few that stand out, such as King Sombra returning and declaring war on Equestria, or Queen Chrysalis and the Changelings taking over, and even one where Nightmare Moon gets her revenge and banishes Princess Celestia to the moon."

"And in the end, the power of Friendship saved the day," Hildr called out from the cockpit.

Twilight frowned. "When you put it that way, it almost sounds silly."

"Because it IS silly," Hildr said, then let out a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I just can't get my head around this whole, Magic of Friendship thing."

"I could say the same thing about your Light, so we'll just have to agree to disagree," Twilight said.

"Fair enough," Hildr agreed.

Raven cleared his throat. "Anyway, here we have a map of Equestria overlaid with the Magic energy we detected." Several fuzzy green blobs appeared on the map with the two largest appearing over Canterlot and Everfree Forest.

"Well that makes sense," Twilight said. "Canterlot is where the Princesses are and Everfree forest is, well, Everfree Forest."

Sunset looked at the smaller blobs. "These blobs here correlate with some of the bigger cities in Equestria, like Manehatten, Las Pegasus, Vanhoover, and even Cloudsdale."

Twilight frowned. "It could be that the collective Magic of a large group of ponies would be enough to display on the map. But that doesn't help us very much does it?"

Raven nodded. "That's a good point. The map right now represents ALL of the Magic we detected, regardless of the source. With a few adjustments, we can filter out the Magic from ponies-" he made and adjustment to the display, "-and show only the Magic of the planet itself."

Twilgiht and Sunset gasped. The large blob over Everfree Forest remained the same, but the most surprising was the concentration over Canterlot. "It's gone!" Twilight exclaimed. "So does that mean that the princesses really do have that much magical potential?" Twilight looked closely at the map. "Look at this," she said. "The areas with a high Magic concentration have branches that reach out to the other areas." She adjusted the projector to show pony magic as well. "When we display both sources, the lines weave together in an interconnected web." Twilight looked up to Raven and said, "I bet if we measured the whole planet, the results would be similar." She smiled and became excited. "This proves that the Magic of the planet and the Magic of the ponies connected, each supporting the other!"

"It would seem so," Raven said. He moved to a different part of the map and said, "Look at this place here."

"That's the Crystal Empire where Princess Cadence is," Twilight said.

"Another princess? Oh. Then watch this," Raven said. He flipped the settings back and forth, showing Twilight and Sunset the differences. "It would seem that Princess Cadence has some influence on the overall magic of the Crystal Empire as well."

"True, but the map also shows that the Empire itself has a large amount of natural Magic," Sunset said. She looked to Twilight and said, "Should we just go there? I mean, it's kind of in the name right? _Crystal Empire_. That place has to be loaded with crystals."

"You are correct, but I don't think we'll find one that suits our needs," Twilight said. "While it is made of crystal, it vanished with King Sombra for a thousand years. I don't think any of those crystals will have absorbed enough magic for what we need."

Sunset frowned and looked at the map. "So we need a place that has had a high concentration of magic for a very, _very_ long time."

Both ponies looked glumly at the map. "So. Who's up for anther foray into Everfree?" Sunset asked.

"Not me, that's for sure," Twilight replied and made a face.

"Is there anywhere else that fits our criteria?" Sunset asked.

Raven floated above and regarded the map. On the far western edge, he noticed a small, but very pronounced dot of Magic energy. "What's this over here?" he asked and flew down to get a closer look.

"That's Western Equestria. Nopony ever goes there since it's unexplored," Twilight said.

"Why is that?" Raven asked. At this, Twilight could only shrug. "I honestly don't know. At least I've never heard of anypony going there. Most assume it's just another wasteland, like the Badlands, or San Palomino Desert."

"So you don't know for sure," Hildr called out.

Twilight hesitated briefly, then nodded. "Correct. It appears on every map of Equestria, but like I said, I've never ready anything about it or heard of anypony visiting there."

Sunset tapped her mouth with her hoof as she thought. "Do you remember hearing about an old mountainpony by the name of Pathfinder Colt?"

Twilight nodded. "Wasn't he part of the expedition to explore Equestira prior to its founding?"

"Yep," Sunset replied.

Twilight frowned. "But the expedition was well-documented. What are you getting at?"

Sunset gave a little grin. "While exploring the new land for the Earth Tribe, he stumbled across what he called 'a bizarre and nightmarish landscape bubbling mud pits, steaming geysers, and ground that belched smoke like the pits of Tartarus itself.'"

"Oh. You mean Colt's Nightmare? Everypony has heard of it, but nopony believed him." Twilight remarked. "Also, nopony has been able to find it since. Most believed he was bragging about his exploits in order to make himself look better."

Sunset's grin grew a little bigger. "Perhaps, but I came across a book of legends and tall tales and one of them talked about how Pathfinder Colt was the one to show Smart Cookie the location of the cave where the first Hearth's Warming Eve was held."

Twilight's eyes grew wide with this revelation. "What? Why haven't I heard of this before?" she shrieked.

"And, it also said that since that first night, the location of the cave was lost to history," Sunset added. Twilight took several deep breaths to keep from passing out.

Raven carefully inspected the map. "So you think this location here is where this Hearth's Warming Eve took place?" he asked.

Sunset shrugged. "Who knows? In any case, I think this is our best bet."

"Why do you say that?" Twilight asked.

"Compare this reading with the others," Raven said. "See how bright and compact it is? Now look at this one over here." He pointed to another. "This one is of similar size, but see how weak and fuzzy it is? Higher concentrations will have a better defined shape."

"Well, I can't argue with that," Twilight said. "However, I doubt that it's the location of the first Hearth's Warming Eve. I'm pretty sure that Canterlot Castle now sits on the cave. I mean, that makes sense right? Building the castle in the place Equestria was founded?"

"I'm pretty sure that's just a legend," Sunset replied. She then shook her head and held up her hoof to Twilight. "I don't really want to argue about it now. Let's just find this dot of Magic and hope it has what we need."

Raven relayed the coordinates to Hildr, who turned the ship in the right direction and headed off. She noticed that the farther west they traveled, the more desolate and barren the land became. The bright colors soon gave way drab greys and browns, and the rolling plains turned to jagged mountains with treacherous valleys. Hildr began to see why no pony ever traveled this far.

She also noticed the ship controls were starting to fight her and the displays started to flicker. "I think we've gone as far as we can go," she called out.

"I agree. All of the displays are going haywire," Twilight called out.

"Hang on. This might get a little bumpy," Hildr said as she struggled to control the ship's decent. As if to prove her point, the ship hit a spot of turbulence and suddenly dropped in altitude. Twilight and Sunset both screamed and Hildr planted her feet against the console and pulled back on the controls as hard as she could. At the last minute, the ship pulled out of its decent, snapping the tops off the larger trees. Hildr continued to fight with the ship until she noticed a small clearing off to the right. She steered the ship as best as she could and the ship dropped to the ground in a controlled crash.

Hildr let out a tired sigh and checked her indications. The ship was still in one piece and serviceable, but required minor repairs. The engines were overheated and the onboard diagnostics wailed in protest. Hildr hit a button and silenced the alarm. "Everyone alive back there?" she asked.

Twilight and Sunset untangled themselves from their harnesses and checked themselves over. "Just some soreness and minor bruising, but I think we'll be okay," Sunset replied.

"What happened?" Twilight asked as she rolled her head to stretch the kink out of her neck.

"If I had to guess, the source of concentrated Magic caused some interference with the ship," Raven said. "All things considered, we're quite lucky to have gotten off as well as we did."

Twilight stared at him in shock. "You call that getting off easy? We practically fell from the sky and crashed!"

"But did you die?" Raven asked.

"Well, no," Twilight replied uncertainly.

"Then we're fine," Raven insisted.

"Okay, okay, let's just all take a minute to gather our thoughts, and put aside the fact we crashed in the most remote part of Equestria where nopony has ever gone and where nopony will think to look for us," Sunset replied. Both ponies then became downcast.

Hildr appeared and tapped her hoof on the deck to get their attention. "I offered to leave you behind, but you insisted on coming along. You have no one to blame but yourselves," she said.

"I know, I know," Twilight exasperated. "I was just hoping things would have gone a little bit better."

Just then, a tiny purple dragon fell out of the overhead and landed on the deck with a _THUMP_ , startling everyone. "Ow," Spike groaned and rubbed his head.

"Spike? What are you doing here?" Twilight exclaimed.

"Well, you all forgot about me back at the castle and I had to sneak onboard," Spike pouted. "Why is it that every time you go on an adventure, I get left behind?"

"You don't always get left behind," Twilight insisted. "Remember the Crystal Empire? Without you, Sombra would have succeeded."

Spike considered this for a moment. "Well, yeah, but that was just one time. What about all the other times you left me alone?"

"I…uh…well…you see…" Twilight sputtered. Sunset rolled her eyes and placed a hoof on Spike's shoulder. "We didn't leave you behind on purpose. We don't know what we're facing or how much danger we'll be in, so Twilight just wanted to keep you safe. If anything happened to you, she'd be devastated," she said.

Spike gently pushed Sunset's hoof away and crossed his arms. "That's the kind of thing you tell somebody who always gets left behind. 'It's for your own safety, we don't want you to get hurt, we don't know how bad it will be, someone has to stay behind and hold down the castle.' I've heard it all before." He glared up at Sunset and Twilight. "In case you've forgotten, I'm a dragon, and dragons can do all kinds of useful things."

"I didn't forget Spike, really," Twilight said as she took a step forward. "But Sunset has a point. Despite all of the adventures and dangers we've faced, I really don't know what to expect."

Spike huffed and rolled his eyes. "That's a pretty lame excuse Twilight." He put his hands on his hips and started to pace back and forth. "You all see me as nothing but a baby. I'm a _dragon._ I can hold my own. Why won't you give me a chance?"

Twilight and Sunset shared a look, unsure of what to do. Hildr looked down at Spike and her opinion of the little dragon improved a little. She slowly stepped forward until she towered over him. Spike noticed the shadow and jumped back in surprise. He quickly regained his composure and glared up at Hildr. "You gonna take their side too?" he asked.

Hildr shook her head. "Actually, no."

It took a second for everyone to process her words. Twilight and Spike's eyes went wide and Sunset was taken aback. "What do you mean?" Twilight asked.

Hildr turned to face her. "What I mean is, he's here now and it's too late to turn back. So he can either stay alone with the ship, or go with us where we can look out for him."

"I'm going," Spike said defiantly and crossed his arms.

Hildr gave a short nod. "Okay then." Raven activated the ramp and Hildr walked out with Spike trailing close behind. Sunset looked to Twilight and after a moment of hesitation, ran after Hildr. Twilight finally came to her senses and followed after Sunset. Needless to say, she wasn't very happy.

"I don't think Hildr is a very good influence on Spike," Twilight said to Sunset.

Sunset rolled her eyes and sighed. "You have to admit that Hildr has a point. It is better to bring Spike along so we can watch out for him."

"But he shouldn't even be here in the first place!" Twilight insisted. "However, I will admit that I kind of lost track of him back at the castle."

Sunset took some time to think of her response. "I don't know Spike well enough to say for sure, but it seems to me that he's starting to go through the stage of youth where he doesn't want to be viewed as a baby or small child anymore. When people know you very well and see you a certain way, it can be hard to break away from that."

"But Spike IS still a baby," Twilight insisted.

"Perhaps when compared to dragons, but what about ponies?" Sunset asked. "How long has it been since he hatched?"

Twilight stopped to think. "Let's see, it was when I was accepted into the School for Gifted Unicorns, so about ten years or so?"

"So compared to a pony, that puts him at late elementary school age right?" Sunset asked.

"Yes, but I'm not sure where you are going with this," Twilight said.

Sunset sighed. "The point I'm trying to make is this. Spike has known you his entire life. You're practically his mother. Because you are so close to him, it's hard for you to see him as anything but a baby dragon. One day, you are going to realize that Spike has grown up and doesn't need to depend on you for everything, and it will surprise you."

Twilight frowned. "How would you even know that?" she asked.

"It's not a hard conclusion to make," Sunset replied. "I see it happen all the time, especially in the human world."

Up ahead, Spike was jogging just to keep up with Hildr. "What do you think they are talking about?" he asked as he looked behind him. Hildr stopped and Spike ran into her. "Hey, why did you stop?" he asked and rubbed his nose.

Hildr looked down at the little dragon. "Do you often get left behind while Twilight and her friends go about saving Equestria?" she asked.

"Not always," Spike said and stood up. "Sometimes they let me tag along before completely forgetting about me."

Hildr nodded. "It can be difficult when others pay little attention to you, even when you are a vital member of the team."

"Exactly!" Spike said and snapped his fingers. "Finally, somepony who understands. I can't tell Twilight any of this because she'll just brush me off and say something like, 'You're not old enough,' or 'You'll just get in the way,' or 'We can handle it ourselves.'"

Hildr noticed he was covered in dust and panting for breath. "Are you having a hard time keeping up?" she asked.

Spike shook his head. "Not really. I have short legs, so I'm used to it by now."

Hildr couldn't believe the idea she was considering, but she found herself asking, "If it's that much trouble, would you like a ride instead?"

Spike's eyes lit up. "Really?" After a second of hesitation, Hildr gave a short nod in reply. "Wow. Thanks," he said as grabbed hold of Hildr's armor and hoisted himself up. He made himself comfortable and gave Hildr a pat on the shoulder, indicating he was ready, and she set out again.

Raven floated nearby and Hildr looked around at her surroundings. Whereas Everfree Forest gave a sense of danger and foreboding, this place seemed ancient and powerful. The Magic was almost palpable and Hildr could feel a tingling deep in her bones.

There was no path to follow and no way to tell how far they still needed to travel, or in what direction. The ground was littered with rocks and scraggly brush, with the occasional lizards and bugs darting around. "Raven, where are we? How much further?" HIldr asked.

"According to the map, we landed only a few miles from the source," Raven said. "We're heading in the general direction, however there's no real path to follow and we don't know the exact location of the source."

Hildr looked to the sky and noticed the sun was getting late. "Looks like we're running out of time, at least during daylight," she said.

Raven bobbed in the air, indicating his agreement and continued onward. Hildr looked back and saw Twilight and Sunset were still in deep conversation. About what was anyone's guess. Hildr shrugged and turned to follow Raven.

After a while, Spike asked, "Say Hildr, do you mind if I ask you a question?"

"You just did," Hildr replied.

"I guess you're right," Spike chuckled and rubbed his head. "I just wanted to know if there are any dragons where you come from."

Hildr thought about her answer and shook her head. "Not anymore."

"Oh," Spike replied and his face fell. "What happened to them?"

"Do you really want to know?" Hildr asked.

Spike winced at her reply. "Is it bad?" he asked softly.

"Yes," Hildr said.

Spike went silent and Hildr didn't blame him. "I would like it if you told me," he said finally.

"They were killed off," Hildr said simply.

Spike gasped and he almost fell off Hildr's back. "But why?" he asked.

Hildr sighed. "Where I come from, these dragons were known as Ahamkara. The Ahamkara weren't dragons per se, but they greatly resembled dragons from myth in appearance. They first appeared after the Traveler was discovered and were highly sought after for their knowledge and power. However, in order to receive the gifts of the Ahamkara, there was a bargain, a price to be paid. Eventually, it was decided that the price for the Ahamkara was too great, and they were hunted down and killed."

"That's terrible," Spike said sadly. "The Ahamkara didn't do anything wrong, did they? It's not their fault humans asked them for things."

Hildr shook her head. "There is always a price to be paid. Nothing in life is free."

"Well sure, but that doesn't mean the Ahamkara had to die right?" Spike asked.

"Think of it this way," Hildr said. "Say you wish you had a million dollars. You find an Ahamkara, you make your wish, and it's granted. But the Ahamkara doesn't just give you the money. There is a price to be paid. So you go home and find out that Twilight was horribly injured in an accident. She may never wake up again. As compensation for the accident, you are awarded a million dollars."

"But that's horrible!" Spike gasped.

"But now you have a million dollars. That's what you wanted, right?" Hildr asked.

"Well yeah, but not like that," Spike said. "If somepony has to get hurt, then I don't want a reward."

"That's just an example," Hildr said. "I don't know for sure, but the price has an equivalent value of the request. That's just how it is."

Spike thought for a moment and asked, "Did you ever meet an Ahamkara?"

"Yes," Hildr replied.

"Did you make a wish?" Spike asked softly.

"Yes," Hildr replied.

"What was your wish? What was your price?" Spike asked.

Hildr shook her head. "I'm still paying for it, even now."

Spike scooted forward on Hildr's back and wrapped his arms around her neck. "I'm sorry. I hope it was worth it," he said.

Hildr was taken aback by Spike's show of affection and stopped. "What are you doing?"

Spike quickly sat up and scurried backwards. "I'm sorry. I just thought you might need a hug. You looked like you needed it."

Hildr turned her head to stare at Spike. He fidgeted with his hands and had a worried look on his face, afraid he had done something wrong. A faint grin appeared across Hildr's mouth. "It's fine. Don't worry about it."

Raven stopped a short ways ahead and looked back. "According to the map, this is the location of the Magic source," he said.

Spike hopped down off Hildr's back and looked around. "I don't see anything," he said.

Hildr noticed the ground had become cracked and uneven, with sharp peaks of rock surrounding a large hill. It was faint, but it looked as if a path led partway up the hill and disappeared in the thick underbrush. The sun was starting to set now, and long shadows stretched across the ground. The air was still with no breeze, as if the land was holding its breath in anticipation.

Sunset and Twilight approached and their conversation quickly died away to whispers. They looked around uncertainly and Hildr was satisfied to see she wasn't the only one affected by this place. "So now what?" Sunset asked.

The tingling sensation Hildr sensed earlier now centered in her chest and grew to a deep vibration. Her Light was reacting and she struggled to keep it in check. Looking up at the hill, Hildr felt a strong urge to walk up the path. She suspected that was where they would find the source. Rather than wait for a decision to be made, Hildr forced the issue and started walking.

"Wait! Where are you going?" Twilight called out. Hildr didn't reply and kept walking.

The closer she came to the top of the hill, the stronger the sensation became. She could feel tendrils of energy, like fingers, reaching into her mind. It was alarming at first, but Hildr realized there was no malicious intent. Warmth spread through her body and Hildr felt very light, like walking on clouds. Her became hyperaware of her surroundings. Hildr's vision became ultra-sharp and she started to see bright flashes of color in the drab wasteland. She also became acutely aware of the feel of her armor and the way it sat and rubbed against her body.

The trail disappeared into a thorn bush, but Hildr equipped her helmet and shouldered her way through. Twilight and Sunset followed carefully behind with Spike bringing up the rear. "Do you know what's going on?" Sunset asked.

Twilight shook her head. "You got me. Hildr's acting like she's in some kind of trance."

Sunset shivered and gave herself a good shake. "I can see why. This place has heavy aura about it. It feels…ancient, older than Equestria maybe."

"But how is that possible?" Twilight asked. "Equestria was founded before the princesses were even born!"

"Magic?" Sunset replied with a shrug and Twilight rolled her eyes. "No really. I think it's Magic," Sunset insisted. "A very old, raw, and powerful Magic."

Twilight's horn flashed and she pushed the thorn bush to the side to allow them to enter. Sunset stepped inside and gasped. Twilight's eyes went wide and her mouth fell open. Spike stumbled inside and proceeded to pick errant thorns out of his scales. "Ouch. I really don't like thorn bushes," he whined. He looked around in confusion. "Hey. What's going on everypony?" he asked.

Twilight put her hoof on Spike's head and turned him in the direction they were all looking. Once he saw what they were looking at, Spike managed to say, "Oh."

In the back of the cave was a large pink and purple heart-shaped gem. Pink flames surrounded the gem and power and warmth radiated throughout the cave. Sunset felt her heart swell with love and emotion and she reached out for Twilight, who did the same. Spike jumped on Twilight's back and hugged her neck tightly. "Twilight? I don't know why, but I feel so warm and happy," Sunset said softly.

"Me too," Spike agreed. "I don't think I've ever said this, but I love you Twilight."

"I love you too, Spike," Twilight replied. She looked to Sunset and the two unicorns touched horns. "I just wish the rest of my friends could share this with us," she said sadly.

"I know what you mean," Sunset said. All her doubts and worries seemed to melt away in the presence of the burning gem, but she felt a tiny bit of loneliness for her friends. The thought of them made Sunset smile. At this, she had a realization. "Twilight, I think I know what this is," she said.

Twilight's eyes lit up as well. "I can't believe it," she said in awe. "This must be the Fire of Friendship!"

"Like the one from the Hearth's Warming Eve story?" Spike asked and Twilight nodded. "It's the only thing that makes sense. This is the cave the tribal leaders spent the night in."

Hildr stood under the Fire of Friendship and stared up at it. Under the gem's influence, the walls in her heart were slowly falling apart. Hildr tried to fight it as much as possible, but it was useless. The purest and oldest form of Friendship Magic worked its way into Hildr's soul. It super-charged her Magic infused Light and she couldn't keep it contained anymore. Hildr's body exploded into flames and Twilight and Sunset gasped.

The flames died down and Hildr rose to her full height. A golden aura surrounded her body and wings of fire appeared on her back. What really took Sunset by surprise was the fact that Hildr was now in her human form. "Hildr why are you human?" she asked.

Hildr looked down at her body and turned to face the dragon and two ponies. "I don't really know," she said. She reached up and her fingers brushed the burning purple heart. "Whatever this is, it caused my Light to react."

Sunset stepped forward and carefully walked around Hildr. "It's like that time we fought the Vex, but it seems different somehow," she said.

"It supercharged my Light. As long as I stay here, I'll be like this," Hildr said.

"Fascinating," Raven said and he hovered around HIldr, taking scans. "Your Light levels are off the charts. I haven't seen anything like this since Twilight Gap."

Hildr looked down and clenched her hands into fists. "This power is incredible, but at what cost? I can feel it in my heart, in my soul. It's trying to expose things I had buried long ago." She looked to Sunset. "Is this how it was for you? Is this what the Magic of Friendship truly is?"

Sunset slowly walked up to Hildr. With each step, she felt her own Magic and abilities strengthened by Hildr's Light. The Fire of Friendship seemed to blaze even hotter, but it did not burn. Sunset slowly reached out and touched Hildr's hand with her hoof. She gasped as power suddenly surged through her body and she began to change shape. Sunset opened her eyes and saw she was now a human as well and she was wearing the same outfit she wore at the Friendship Games when she fought Midnight Sparkle.

Twilight watched in awe as Sunset's body started to glow and she changed to her human form as well. "There are no words to describe this right now," she whispered in awe. Spike could only nod and stroked Twilight's mane in reply.

"Sunset, I don't understand what is happening," Hildr said. "It feels like the Magic is trying to take over my entire being. I don't think I like it."

Sunset nodded. "You asked me what it felt like to be exposed to Friendship Magic," she said. "It was a lot like this, but it hurt. When I put on Twilight's crown, my selfishness and ego corrupted the Magic and it turned me into a literal demon." Sunset grasped Hildr's hand and continued. "When I was hit by the Elements of Harmony, it stripped my soul bare and washed away all of that. It forced me to see the error of my ways and acknowledge the monster I had become. The pain was unbearable. I wanted to die. I felt like that was the only way to repay all the damage I had caused. But the worst part was the realization that I was alone. I had no one. I pushed everyone away or used them to further my ambition."

Hildr stared deep into Sunset's eyes with her unrelenting gaze. "I have lived for a very long time, and for most of it, I have been alone. I think I have forgotten, or I have allowed myself to forget, what it feels like to open yourself up to another. I pushed them away because I didn't want to suffer through the heartbreak, over and over again."

Deep inside, Hildr tried desperately to hold on and clenched her heart tightly in her fist. She could already feel her grip loosening as the Friendship Magic worked its way inside. Little by little, the pain and guilt she tried to hide was exposed and laid bare. Hildr felt the urge to collapse and break down, but her iron will refused to give in. She would weather this emotional hurricane, and she would stand strong to the end.

Sunset held Hildr's hand to her heart and she choked back tears. "I don't think I can be what you need me to be. I truly believe in my heart that I was meant to show you that Friendship is worth the pain and heartache it causes."

Hildr reached out hesitantly to touch Sunset's face, but stopped and shook her head. "It's just not in my nature to give in to things so easily. This is the path that I have set for myself and I will see it through to the end." She finally put her hand on Sunset's head and gave her a light pat. "Thank you for your understanding, Sunset Shimmer. If I had a daughter, I hope she would turn out just like you."

Sunset suddenly grabbed Hildr and hugged her tightly. After an awkward pause, Hildr put her arms around Sunset and held her gently. All her stress and anxiety melted away in the warmth of the embrace. How long had it been since she held someone like this? The memory of her actual meeting with the red haired woman from her dream was surprisingly strong and vivid. Hildr remembered what it was like to hold someone so close to the heart.

Twilight watched as the Fire of Friendship began to pulsate and a thumping sound was heard like a beating heart. The gem flashed brightly, followed by the sound of crystal shattering. A small piece of the gem separated from the rest and floated down above Hildr's head. The golden aura around Hildr's body started to fade away and the flaming wings extinguished. Hildr and Sunset were enveloped in a bright light. When Twilight could see again, Hildr and Sunset had returned to their pony forms.

"I…I don't even know where to begin," Twilight said in awe as she stepped forward to meet them. "What happened? What was it like?"

Hildr looked to Sunset. "It was warm," she said.

"What else?" Twilight asked.

"It was a lot like the time I used the Elements of Harmony to transform during the Friendship Games," Sunset replied. She frowned and tilted her head to the side. "You've never been hit with the Elements, have you?" she asked.

Twilight shook her head. "Usually I'm on the giving side and not the receiving side," she said.

Hildr looked up at the Fire of Friendship. "It showed me many things that I have been trying to hide for so long," she said. "It wasn't exactly a pleasant experience, then again, having your soul laid bare and being forced to acknowledge your faults rarely is."

Twilight looked above Hildr's head. "Well it looks like we got what we came for after all," she said. Hildr and Sunset looked up as Raven scanned the crystal shard. "This shard is packed with so much dense Magical energy, my sensors can't even read it," he said. He scanned the shard and it disappeared into his inventory.

"Wow," Spike marveled. "The real Fire of Friendship. After this, the annual Hearth's Warming Eve play won't be as exciting."

Sunset and Twilight shared a look. "Clearly this is some very powerful Magic," Twilight said.

"Yep," Sunset agreed.

"So, I was maybe thinking that perhaps such a thing should, oh I don't know, remain hidden?" Twilight suggested.

"Totally agree," Sunset said.

"Of course, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna should know," Twilight added. "You know, for safety reasons."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Sunset said with a shrug. "I don't know anything about a hidden cave with an ancient Magic power."

"My thoughts exactly," Twilight replied with a wink.

"My lips are sealed," Spike promised and he closed his mouth with an invisible zipper. They exited the cave and were quite surprised to find the sun had set long ago and the moon was now high overhead. "Gee, I didn't think we were in there for that long," he said.

Raven illuminated the way and the group walked back to Hildr's ship. Now that she was away from the influence of the Fire of Friendship, Hildr had time to think and reflect on her experience. It was quite humbling to say the least. She realized that in her quest to forge her own path, she had forgotten the meaning behind why she started out in the first place. Hildr had always suspected, but it was now made abundantly clear that by pushing others away to save herself was incredibly selfish and only hurt everyone involved.

The real reason she left her lover was fear. Hildr was afraid that she would be abandoned like so many other times in the past. She knew that leaving the way she did would leave a permanent scar on the redhead's heart. Now that she acknowledged this, Hildr was deeply sorry and hoped that she could be forgiven. Was she still alive? Would they see each other again? Time would only tell.

The Fire of Friendship also showed Hildr her true feelings about the Iron Lords. She missed them. She missed them terribly, and she was sorry she didn't go with them. Lord Saladin offered her a place among them, but she refused. She didn't see the purpose of being a medic for a group of nigh immortal beings. If she ever saw Saladin again, she would ask for forgiveness.

In a way, the burden on Hildr's soul felt much lighter. She still carried many scars, but she felt like things were a little bit brighter, that the future wasn't so dark. Because of this, Hildr started to seriously evaluate her current situation. She knew she needed to go back, but the question was, what time did she want to go back to? Was it even possible to carry out her original plan? Hildr had to admit that not much thought went into her plan in the first place.

They finally arrived back at Hildr's ship. Twilight turned to Spike and said, "Before we go back, take down a note please."

"Uh, okay," Spike said and took the paper and pen from Twilight.

"Ahem. 'Dear Princess Celestia,'" Twilight began. "I'm sorry for the late hour, but I believe we found a crystal with sufficient Magical potential to cast the spell. I realize that we forgot to get the spell from you when we left the castle. If it's not too much trouble, could you meet us in Ponyville? Hildr will be anxious to get back to the human world, so I don't want to delay her any further. Best regards, Princess Twilight Sparkle."

Spike finished writing and handed the paper to Twilight. Satisfied, she rolled it up and handed it back to Spike, who incinerated the paper with his dragon breath. "With any luck, Princess Celestia will meet us back at the castle," Twilight said.

Hildr nodded and they all boarded the ship. Once everyone was strapped in, Hildr took off and flew back to Ponyville. The trip took very little time and before long, they landed on the outskirts of town.

Twilight opened the doors to her castle to find both Princess Luna and Princess Celestia waiting for them in the library. "Princess! I thought you would be sleeping by now," Twilight said and hurriedly bowed.

Celestia gave a little yawn. "I was Twilight, but Luna alerted me to your message and we both flew over as quickly as we could," she said.

Luna stepped forward. "I am glad your search proved fruitful, but I am apprehensive about what you plan to do next," she said.

Hildr took a deep breath to focus her thoughts. "My plan hasn't changed. I want to undo the spell, enable and enter the Vex portal, then shut it all down again."

Celestia frowned. "I stand by what I said earlier, however Luna and I have discussed the matter at length and I believe we have come to a compromise. In order to prevent as much damage as possible, we have adjusted the spell to affect only a small area."

"How small are you talking about?" Hildr asked.

Celestia and Luna shared a look. "I am uncertain as to the proper human measurements, but the spell will enable an area the size of this castle at most," Luna said.

Hildr thought for a moment and said, "That should be fine."

Celestia's horn flared and a scroll appeared. "This scroll contains the spell to enable the technology and the spell to disable it," she said.

Sunset took possession and put the scroll in her saddle bag. "Also, we would like to look upon the crystal you have chosen," Luna said.

Raven's eye flashed and the crystal shard appeared. Both Celestia and Luna gasped in surprise. "How did you manage to find it?" Celestia asked. "I thought we had hidden it well enough."

Sunset and Twilight were shocked. "You mean you knew where it was this whole time?" Twilight asked. "Why didn't you say so in the first place? That would have saved so much time!"

"The Fire of Friendship is a very old and very powerful Magic," Luna said. "There is no way we could have known how it would react if you tried to take a piece of it."

"What's done is done," Celestia said, placing a wing around Luna. "I believe the Fire of Friendship led you to it. It wanted to be found."

Hildr was unsure, but she didn't want to argue. "Thank you for your hospitality princesses," she said with a bow. "As much as I would like to, I do believe I will never come back here."

"Fear not Hildr. We shall remember you fondly," Luna said with a smile.

"However, before you go, we would like to offer you a small gift," Celestia said. The two princesses closed their eyes and their horns flashed to life. Two beams of Magic, one white and the other midnight blue, shot forth and surrounded the crystal shard. The shard began to glow bright purple and greedily absorbed the magic. After a moment, Celestia and Luna's horns blinked off and the shard sucked up the remainder of the magic.

"Goodbye Hildr. I wish you well in your endeavor," Celestia said.

"Thank you Princess," Hildr replied with a bow. Twilight activate the portal and the mirror came to life.

Sunset ran up to Celestia and gave her a big hug. "Thank you for everything Princess. I will come back to visit soon," she said. Celestia smiled and held her former student close.

"I thank you for your council and insight," Luna said to Hildr. "It is good to hear the opinions of an outsider. Often, we become to accustomed to our own way of thinking and a new perspective often reveals a new solution to consider."

"I apologize if I came across as straightforward, but I have little patience for wasting time," Hildr said. Luna smiled and gave Hildr a quick embrace. "Do not forget what you have seen here," she said.

"I won't," Hildr promised. Sunset went through the mirror first. Before Hildr stepped through, Spike ran up, holding a piece of paper. "Here. I want you to have this," he said.

Hildr took the paper and opened it up. It was a drawing of Hildr, Sunset, Twilight, and Spike. They were in the cave with the Fire of Friendship overhead. "When did you have time to do this?" Hildr asked.

"Mostly on the ride back and I just now finished," Spike said with a grin.

Hildr gave Spike a rub on the head. "Thank you. In return, I shall give you this," she said. Raven appeared and shot a beam of light on the floor. A pale yellow scale, this size of a fist appeared. "This is an Ahamkara scale," she said. "From one dragon to another."

Spike carefully picked the scale up off the ground and held it in his hands. "Whoa," he said. "This is probably the coolest thing ever!" He looked up to Hildr and said, "I'll take good care of it, I promise."

"Remember, there is always a price," Hildr warned and Spike nodded vigorously. With a final wave goodbye, Hildr stepped through the portal.

* * *

When her vision cleared, Hildr found herself back in the human world in front of Canterlot High School. She noted it was roughly the same time here as in pony Equestria. Hildr rolled her neck and worked her shoulders in attempt to relieve the sorness. After her adventure with the ponies, Hildr was glad to be back in her real body. Her contentment was short lived as she realized someone was missing. "Raven, where is Sunset?' she asked.

Raven appeared and he sent out several pulses of light. "I don't sense her nearby, however I am picking up traces of electromagnetic energy and radio waves. It seems a group of people was recently gathered here."

Hildr was on high alert as she looked around. She saw signs of a struggle and noticed numerous sets of footprints in the grass leading to the street. Hildr followed them and found fresh tire tracks on the pavement. "Whoever they were, they were in a hurry," she muttered. She thought about tracking the vehicle, but that was a Hunter skill she sorely lacked.

"Hildr! Above you!" Raven cried out. Hildr quickly rolled to the side, equipped her helmet, and readied her pulse rifle. The motion tracker on her HUD began to light up in multiple directions, so Hildr ducked ran to take cover behind the horse statue. Bullets impacted the sidewalk at Hildr's feet, sending chips of concrete outward. Hildr peeked out and noticed a dark silhouette on the roof of the school. She heard footsteps and saw a squad of heavily armed men approaching her position. Hildr ducked back into cover and leaned against the statue. "I have an idea as to what happened here," she said.

"Oh? Do tell," Raven spoke over her helmet radio.

"Those government agents that took Sunset before were waiting for us and grabbed her again," Hildr said. Just when things were going so well, this had to happen. Hildr felt herself growing irritated and let out a low growl. This was a distraction she couldn't afford to have right now. "You still have the crystal?" she asked.

"Of course," Raven said.

"But Sunset has the spells," Hildr said.

"Unfortunately, she's not here at the moment," Raven pointed out.

"Noted," Hildr replied. The footsteps drew closer and she could hear the squad talking amongst themselves.

"What are you going to do?" Raven asked.

Hildr let out a breath and steeled herself for what was to come. "I need her help, so I am going to get her back," she said with an edge to her voice. She slung her rifle over her back and stood up. She calmly walked out from behind the statue. Instantly, every gun was pointed in her direction.

Hildr looked at each member of the squad and made sure to stare at the man on the roof. "So. A group of trained killers is sent to kidnap a high school girl and a suspected alien." Hildr's hands began to glow. "Let me sing you the song of my people."

* * *

 _Dear Twilight,_

 _Today was bittersweet. I am sad to leave, but I have to go back. Hildr needs my help and most importantly, my Fluttershy is pet sitting for me. I hate to impose on her more than I already am._

 _When I think about what happened, what I saw, my body starts to tingle all over. I'm still having trouble comprehending everything that happened during our visit. It was just so much! I feel so tired and emotionally drained, especially after meeting with Princess Celestia again and everything that happened in the cave._

 _Speaking of which, I noticed you were a bit mellower than usual. Was it because of your bickering with Hildr? Please don't let that get to you. She just takes some getting used to. I think she has a unique perspective that could be useful for Equestria. Plus, she and Princess Luna seemed to hit it off really well. I find that rather interesting._

 _On a lighter note, I look forward to reading the paper you are going to inevitably write on Clover the Clever's Magic theory and how we went about proving it. I just don't know how you'll manage to explain using Hildr's ship and fancy technology. You'll probably be branded a heretic and burned at the stake. I'm kidding by the way._

 _The Fire of Friendship is another topic that would probably take up a whole book by itself, so I only want to briefly discuss it here. If what Princess Celestia said is true, are they the ones responsible for erasing all record of the Fire of Friendship? I can see why they would do that, but go to such lengths to keep it hidden? Why not move it to a more secure location, like the Royal Treasury or in the vault? Now that I think of it, that's probably a bad idea to keep it in the castle. What if the next threat to Equestria manages to capture it? Can you imagine how much damage would be caused?_

 _Anyway, it's late and I really need to go to bed. I'll keep in touch._

 _Sunset Shimmer_


	14. All Things Must End

Sunset Shimmer opened her eyes and wished she hadn't. The harsh florescent lighting glared down upon her and caused her to wince. Sunset sat up with a groan and wished the tiny Pinkie Pies in her brain would stop shooting party cannons everywhere. She rubbed her temples and tried to remember what happened, but her memories were fuzzy.

When Sunset's vision finally cleared, she looked around the room and sighed heavily. Once again, she found herself in the same room Agent Smith had questioned her before. To make matters worse, said agent was sitting at the table in the center of the room. "Hello Sunset. Good to see you again," he said.

Sunset narrowed her eyes and glared at Agent Smith. "I wish I could say the same, but then I would be lying," she said.

Agent Smith shrugged and pointed to the chair opposite him. "Please. Have a seat."

Sunset shook her head. "Sorry. I don't want to be anywhere near you right now."

"Suit yourself," Smith said and leaned forward with his arms on the table. "You've been busy these last few days."

"So? What about it?" Sunset challenged.

"I don't understand why you're so hostile," Smith said. "Despite what you think, we're all on the same side."

Sunset rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Really? Because it doesn't seem that way to me. Just what side are we supposed to be on anyway?"

"The side that keeps this country and her people safe," Smith said.

"By kidnapping me not once, but twice?" Sunset nearly shouted. "What you're doing right now isn't safety, it is surveillance. What kind of government doesn't trust its own people?"

"What kind of person harbors a dangerous fugitive from an unknown location?" Smith shot back.

Sunset frowned. "Hildr isn't a fugitive, she's a traveler through space and time."

Agent Smith cleared his throat and adjusted his sunglasses. "Forgive me if I find your claim a bit unbelievable."

"What's so unbelievable about it? I'm a unicorn pony from a different world that came here through a magic mirror. That sounds pretty unbelievable to me," Sunset replied and crossed her arms.

"Ah. I'm glad you brought that up," Smith said and put a fold on the table. "Just what was your reason for returning to your world?"

Sunset stared at Smith long and hard. "Why do you want to know?" she asked.

"Like I said, I care about the safety and security of this country," Smith said. "I find it a little concerning that you would willingly take a dangerous individual to your home world so blatantly and carefree. Do you not realize that your actions have consequences?"

"Why do you care what I do or don't do?" Sunset asked. "Didn't you tell me once the government didn't think me or my friends were a threat?"

Smith continued to stare at Sunset, his face unreadable behind his glasses. "I am seriously thinking about amending that oversight," he said. "Your recent actions have gained the notice of some very powerful people. These people are not as nice as I am and wouldn't have a second thought to making you and your friends disappear."

An icy hand gripped Sunset's heart and she shivered. "Threats are no way to make friends," she said uncertainly.

"I'm not here to be your friend. I'm here to determine if your actions pose a danger to the people of this country," Smith said.

"You've said that before. What changed your mind?" Sunset asked.

Smith said nothing and opened the folder. Sunset stepped closer to see the contents and gasped. Her hands quickly went to her pockets and found them empty. "So it seems you know what this is," Smith said. "Our top analysts and code breakers are still working on it. We'll get to the bottom of this, and when we do, you might not like it."

The folder contained the parchment on which the spells from Princess Celestia were written. Sunset carefully looked over the letters and was relieved to find them undamaged. It made sense Agent Smith wanted to know what they said since they were written in Equestrian script, which is based off classical Latin. Sunset chuckled softly to herself. "If you want to know what this says, you only needed to ask," she said.

Smith grunted and said, "I highly doubt you would tell the truth."

"I really don't care if you believe me or not," Sunset replied with a shrug. "Anyway, this is a secret recipe for hayfries."

To his credit, Smith was unconvinced. "Hayfries," he deadpanned.

Sunset nodded. "Yep. Eleven secret herbs and spices and all that. Ponies would kill to get this recipe."

Smith sighed and shook his head. "I find it very hard to believe you traveled back to your home world, just to commit corporate espionage. What would you even do with it here?"

"Market it to farmers?" Sunset suggested. "I can personally attest that hayfries are amazing and any farmer worth his salt would want to keep his animals fed and happy."

Smith suddenly slammed his hand on the table, startling Sunset. "This is no laughing matter. Tell me what I want to know."

Sunset winced and unconsciously took a defensive stance. Perhaps she had taken the joke a little too far, but what else could she do in this situation? She still had no idea where she was or how long she had been there. Sunset thought about Hildr and she suddenly became very nervous. She took a deep breath and said, "Okay, I'll tell you what you want to know."

Smith relaxed slightly and leaned back. "I really don't like using threats to get answers, but it can be effective."

Sunset rolled her eyes and approached the table. "What do you know about the ruins across the ocean that Hildr was poking around in?" she asked.

Smith sat a little straighter in his seat. "Even if I were to admit that, how do you know about it?" he asked.

"Because I've seen it," Sunset replied. "Well, I saw it from space."

Smith looked like he was about to say something, but remained silent instead. Sunset then told him what Hildr found and their theory. "We went back to my home world to get the spell to make the portals work so Hildr can go back to where she came from," Sunset finished.

Smith had a blank look on his face and Sunset wondered if he even heard her. "Look. Normally I'd be more than happy to sit here and tell you everything you ever wanted to know, but I don't have time for that right now," she said. "Please don't take this the wrong way, but if I don't get out of here soon, a very angry space wizard is going to find her way here and I don't think you'd like that very much."

"Are you threatening me?" Smith asked, his voice taking a dangerous edge.

Sunset's eyes went wide and she put her hands up in an attempt to keep Smith from getting angry. "Not exactly, but trust me, you won't like it if she does.

Smith slowly rose to his feet and towered over Sunset. Before he could say anything else, a phone started to ring. Smith and Sunset stared at each other while the phone continued to ring. "Um, are you going to get that?" Sunset asked carefully.

Smith's face twisted with annoyance as he jammed his hand into his pocket and whipped out his phone. He thumbed the answer button and asked, "What?"

Sunset watched as Smith's face changed from annoyed to surprised and finally to angry. "Listen, I don't know who you are or how you got this number but-" Smith said, but whoever he was talking to abruptly cut him off. He continued to listen and Sunset wondered who he was talking to. After a moment, Smith growled and thrust the phone at Sunset. "Here. It's for you," he said.

Sunset took the phone and cautiously answered. "Hello?"

"It's Hildr. Are you well?" Hildr asked bluntly.

Sunset was both relieved and frustrated at the same time. "What do you think?" she asked, more annoyed than she intended.

Fortunately, Hildr didn't seem to mind. "I think you've been kidnapped, drugged, and now you are feeling irritable at your current situation," she said.

Sunset rolled her eyes. "Gee. Thanks for your expert diagnosis, Doctor," she replied with as much sarcasm as she could muster.

"Be serious. How are you feeling?" Hildr asked. Hearing the concern in Hildr's voice deflated Sunset's defiance and she settled back in her chair. "I have a headache, but that happened last time too, and I'm feeling tired and angry. This is all your fault you know."

"I know and I'm sorry," Hildr said. "I'm close by and if I can't reach an agreement with these idiots, I'm going to come and get you."

Visions of an extremely angry Hildr burning everything in her path briefly passed through Sunset's mind and she suppressed a shudder. "From what I can tell, these guys really have it in for you," Sunset said.

"I figured," Hildr said. "Do you still have the spells?"

Sunset glanced to the table and said, "Yes, they are right here."

"Do you need the papers to perform the spell or can you memorize them?" Hildr asked. Sunset scanned over the papers and thought for a moment. "The spell is complex, but not too difficult. I can have it memorized shortly," she said.

"Good. Work on that and put the agent back on the phone," Hildr said. Sunset looked to Agent Smith and handed him back the phone. "She's not very happy with you right now," she said.

"Your friend has made her point perfectly clear," Smith said and snatched the phone back. While he was busy arguing with Hildr, Sunset memorized the spells as quickly as she could. Mirrors surrounded the room and she assumed she was being watched, but she didn't care.

Agent Smith started pacing and talking angrily in the phone. "You have no idea who you're messing with," he said. "There is nowhere you can hide that we won't find you."

Just then, the door exploded inward and slammed off the wall. "Good. I was starting to get bored with this conversation," Hildr said and entered the room. Both Sunset and Smith looked at her in shock.

"What? How? Where is security?" Smith babbled out loud.

"You mean those guys?" Hildr asked and pointed her thumb back to the door. "They're alive, if that's what you're asking. What kind of monster do you think I am?"

"How did you even find this place?" Sunset asked.

"It wasn't hard. I had a civil conversation with the welcoming party you left us and that led me here,"

Hildr replied with a shrug.

Smith recovered his composure somewhat and asked, "Do you have any idea how much trouble you're in?"

"Do you have any idea how little I care?" Hildr shot back. "Look. I am very busy and I have important things I have to do, and right now, you are in the way of me accomplishing those things. Are you going to continue to be a hindrance, or do I need to make you see the error of your ways?"

Both Sunset and Smith paled slightly at Hildr's words. "I thought you said you didn't hurt people," Sunset said uncertainly.

"I said I've never willingly killed anyone, but I'm willing to change that under special circumstances," Hildr said and glared at Smith.

"Don't think you can get away with threatening me," Smith warned. Sunset was slightly impressed how he was holding up against a very irate Hildr. She almost felt sorry for him. Almost.

Hildr let out a frustrated breath. "I don't have time for us to stand around glaring at each other and making threats. I need her," she pointed to Sunset, "And I probably need you too," she added and pointed to Smith.

"Me? What do you need me for?" Smith asked, clearly surprised.

"I need you to get on the phone with your bosses and round up some capable troops. We're probably going to have a fight on our hands," Hildr said.

Smith stood there in shock. "Well? What are you waiting for?" Hildr demanded.

"I don't really have that kind of authority," Smith said.

"So you are just a worthless government hack after all," Hildr said. "Pick up your phone, and make the call," she pointed her finger in Smith's face.

"And even if I am able to get a hold of them, what should I say?" Smith asked.

"Whatever you want!" Hildr exasperated. "Tell them the angry space lady you've been following is going to the forbidden continent to play with alien technology and who knows what will happen."

Smith quickly walked to one side of the room and dialed his phone. Sunset watched as he had an angry whispered conversation with someone, probably his boss. She turned back and saw Hildr standing over her. Startled, Sunset said, "Please don't. I don't think I can handle any more surprised today."

Hildr looked down and said softly, "I'm sorry they took you. We should have come through the portal together."

Sunset shook her head. "It's not your fault, or anyone's fault. They've been watching me for a while and waited for us to get back."

Hildr shook her head and sighed. "With everything that's happened up to now, I would be more concerned if things started to go well. I guess that if you expect to be disappointed, anything else is a welcome surprise."

"Like meeting magical ponies?" Sunset said with a smile and gently elbowed Hildr in the ribs.

Hildr frowned, but a wan smile crossed her face. "Especially meeting magical ponies," she said.

Sunset became serious and asked, "What happens if this doesn't work?"

Hildr shrugged. "Then we'll deal with it, just the two of us."

Sunset was taken aback. "Will the two of us be able to manage by ourselves?" she asked.

Hildr looked down at Sunset. "I am a Warlock. The energies of the universe bend to my will. You are a magical pony with an affinity for fire, trained by a virtual sun goddess. I think we can manage."

Sunset shrugged. "Well, when you put it that way."

Smith finally finished his phone call and carefully walked back to Hildr and Sunset. "It seems you'll get your wish," he said. "A squad of special forces will meet you at the location of your choosing."

Hildr nodded. "Good. I will contact you when I have the meeting place."

When he heard this news, Smith frowned. "You don't know where you're going?" he asked.

"I have an idea," Hildr said. "Like I said, I'll tell you when I've found it. How soon can I expect to meet your special forces?"

"That depends where you want them to meet you," Smith said. "The ocean is an hour away, not to mention the distance across the ocean itself. It will take some time for them to arrive."

Hildr let out a growl of annoyance. "Fine. Get them in the air now and I'll give them the directions en route." She turned to the door and added, "I'm taking this one with me. You don't mind do you?" Smith shook his head and waved them away. Hildr walked out the door with Sunset trailing close behind.

As they walked through the corridors, Sunset carefully took in their surroundings. Outside of the room, everything seemed old and run down. Water dripped overhead from rusted pipes and Sunset thought she could hear something skittering in the darkness. "Not exactly what I imagined a hidden base to look like," she muttered.

"Shh!" Hildr hissed and Sunset kept her mouth shut the rest of the way. Eventually, they emerged from the darkness and into the evening light. Sunset looked back and saw the building she had been held in was an old abandoned factory. "Really? Can this get any more cliché?" she wondered.

Hildr glanced around and surreptitiously held out her hand. Raven appeared and with a barely noticeable nod from Hildr, materialized her sparrow. Hildr quickly jumped on, grabbed a rather surprised Sunset Shimmer, and quickly sped off down the road.

"Hey! Stop! I'm gonna fall off!" Sunset cried out and scrambled to find something to grab onto, settling for Hildr's armor. When she was sure they were out of range, Hildr slowed and stopped. Sunset fell off and landed rather painfully in the dirt. "Ow," she winced and rubbed her backside.

Hildr dismounted the sparrow and looked back down the road. Satisfied they weren't followed, she turned her attention to Sunset and helped her to her feet. "Are you feeling better?"

Sunset glared at Hildr. "Not really. I still have a headache and now I have new bumps and bruises from almost becoming road kill."

Hildr handed Sunset a bottle of water and pills. Sunset swallowed the pills and chased them with water. She made a bitter face as she handed the bottle back to Hildr. "Bleh. Dash was right, pills are gross."

Hildr sighed and put her items away. "Do you have the spells?" she asked.

Sunset smiled smugly and pulled a folder out from under her jacket. "Yep. I memorized them too, just in case." She then frowned and asked, "How did you find me anyway?"

"I had Raven ping your phone," Hildr said. "That gave us a general direction until Agent Smith or whoever disabled it."

"Then we just asked the nice commandos who kidnapped you for directions," Raven spoke up.

Sunset winced. "You didn't kill them did you?"

Hildr rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Like I said to Agent What's-his-name, what kind of monster do you take me for? However, they attacked me first and I defended myself."

"Sure. Just keep telling yourself that," Raven said and Hildr shot him a dirty look. "To answer your question, they are still alive. At least they were when I took them to the hospital." Hildr gave a non-committal shrug. "Anyway, I borrowed a communication device and found the number for Agent Smith's phone. I had Raven give him a ring and we triangulated the call."

"And then you busted down the door like some kind of action hero," Sunset finished.

Raven turned to Hildr. "I told you that was a bad idea."

Hildr pushed him away, saying, "It's not very often I get to look cool. Just let me have this."

Sunset chuckled. "I didn't think you cared about such things."

Hildr cleared her throat. "I don't, not really anyway. Now that we've wasted enough time, shall we get on with this?"

Sunset rolled her eyes as Raven called Hildr's ship. Moments later, it descended through the trees and Sunset and Hildr climbed onboard. To her mild surprise, Sunset found she had a bit more room than the last time and quickly bucked herself in. "Ready to go?" Hildr asked.

"What, no surprises this time?" Sunset quipped.

"I thought we were past that," Hildr replied flatly and quickly accelerated into the atmosphere. Sunset watched as the ground quickly faded away. At this altitude, the sun was still barely visible over the horizon and turned the clouds various shades of pink, purple and blue. To the east, the stars were gradually becoming visible in the inky sky. Sunset gaped in awe at the sight. "Does this view ever get old for you?" she asked.

"No," Hildr replied. "A bit of a romantic, are we?"

"Well, evenings are my favorite time of day," Sunset admitted.

"And the fact your name is Sunset Shimmer has nothing to do with that?" Hildr asked dryly.

"Well…" Sunset chuckled and rubbed her head nervously.

Hildr turned her ship eastward and settled in for the journey. "Every day you wake up is a blessing. In my experience, you need to find joy and happiness where you can. The universe is a cold, cruel place that doesn't care about you or your feelings."

Sunset shivered and rubbed her arms. "That's a pretty dark and depressing view," she said.

Hildr turned her head and glanced over her shoulder. "Killer robots and the end of humanity, remember?"

"Yeah," Sunset replied glumly. She leaned forward and said, "With everything that you've told me, why would you want to go back? Why not stay here?"

"Is that a serious question?" Hildr asked. After a moment of hesitation, Sunset nodded. Hildr looked forward out of the viewport and sighed. "Despite what you might think, I am not a selfless or altruistic person."

"No," Sunset gasped. "I never would have guessed."

Hildr ignored her and continued. "Despite the awesome powers Guardians have been granted, some choose to use their gifts for their own selfish desires. Others do nothing more than fight against each other in the Crucible for glory and praise. Others have even abandoned the City to its fate."

"And what about you?" Sunset asked.

Hildr stared down at her hands. "I think I have told you before, but I have the power to help others, so I do. I choose to believe that I was brought back for that purpose. If I can bring just a small flicker of hope in the darkness, then isn't that good enough?"

Sunset sat back in her seat, unsure of what to say. When she thought about it, it wasn't surprising that Hildr was such a driven person. Sunset turned her thoughts on herself. What purpose did she serve? What drove her to be better than she was yesterday? She used to think it was to prove that she wasn't the same person she used to be, but how long would that last?

"Sunset, I would like to ask a personal question if you don't mind," Hildr said, breaking Sunset from her thoughts.

"Oh, okay," Sunset said.

"What was your dream when you were small?" Hildr asked. "What did you want to be when you grew up?"

"Huh? Where did that come from?" Sunset asked. She was quite surprised by Hildr's questions. She didn't think Hildr even cared.

"I was just curious," Hildr said. "I realize that in the short time we have been together, I have been rather pushy and uncaring about your needs."

"And you think that being nice now will make up for the way you've treated me?" Sunset asked. Her tone was a bit more venomous than she intended and she immediately regretted it.

Hildr shook her head. "No. You have every right to be upset with me. I just thought I would try and get to know you a little better." She let out a tired sigh. "The Fire of Friendship broke through most of the walls I had erected in my heart. In just this short time, I find that I am less bitter and closed off to the world. I suppose I have you to thank for that as well."

"Oh." Sunset was taken aback and didn't know what to say. "Well, I guess I just wanted to be somebody important. I liked learning new things and experimenting with my magic." She shrugged. "Growing up, every unicorn colt and filly hears about the great Starswirl the Bearded and Clover the Clever. With such amazing and legendary unicorns to look up to, who wouldn't want to be just like them? After Princess Celestia took me in, my dream was to be an alicorn just like her. I suppose that's where it all started. I thought that becoming an alicorn was my right as her student."

"Aren't the princesses the only alicorns? What would you be the princess of?" Hildr asked. "Celestia is princess of the sun, Luna has the moon, and Twilight is the Princess of Friendship."

"I don't know. I never really thought about it," Sunset admitted. "I thought that I would figure it out after I became an alicorn. But now, after everything I've been through, I don't know. I'm not sure I can even become an alicorn at this point."

"Why would you want to?" HIldr asked.

"What do you mean?" Sunset asked, frowning.

"What I mean is, if becoming an alicorn is what you want, by all means do it," Hildr said. "But as we grow and mature, our priorities change. I'm not saying that the dreams of children are unimportant, but sometimes, dreams are just that. There's nothing wrong with finding yourself on a different path than you intended."

"Is that what you did?" Sunset asked and Hildr snorted. "I'm too stubborn to do anything else," she said. "I decided that for me, this was the best way to use my gifts."

Sunset chuckled to herself and looked out the window at the ocean raced by. "I think that trying to prove to others and myself that I've changed isn't a very good long term goal. To be honest, I'm not quite sure what I want to do anymore."

"There is nothing wrong with that," Hildr said. "Not everyone has their whole life planned out in advance. In my opinion, those who take each day as it comes often have the best stories. They are the type of people to get caught up in interesting adventures."

"That's because they have no anchor, nothing to hold them steady," Sunset said. "They just go where the wind takes them. I don't think I could do that."

"Perhaps not, but you are a smart young woman. I'm sure that whatever you decide to do, you'll be absolutely brilliant," Hildr said.

Sunset smiled to herself and was thankful Hildr couldn't see her blush. Soon the ocean gave way to land again and Sunset noticed a significant difference between this continent and the one where Canterlot was. It was difficult to see in the dark, but she could make out the abandoned and overgrown buildings. They were unlike any Sunset had ever seen before. "This is incredible," she said.

"Just wait, it gets better," Raven said. Sunset kept her face to the window and watched as the vegetation abruptly turned to stone and metal. "Is this the work of the Vex?" she asked.

"Yes," Hildr said. "Now imagine if the entire planet looked like this."

"But why?" Sunset asked. "What purpose would that serve?"

"If I knew that, I wouldn't be here," Hildr replied. She slowed down and hovered over the tower she had visited before. "Now to find the Citadel," she said.

"The what now?" Sunset asked.

Raven appeared in front of Sunset and said, "What we call the Citadel is actually a large Vex structure on the surface of Venus. We don't exactly know what function it serves. Some think it is a repository of information or that it is somehow related to the Vault of Glass. Teams of Guardians have been exploring and researching it for years."

"I believe that finding the Citadel here will be our best bet to activate a portal to the Vex Network," Hildr said. She checked the scanners and flew in the direction she remembered seeing that flash of light. As they flew closer, a tower appeared on the horizon and quickly grew bigger. It was unlike any of the other Vex structures they had seen so far. For one, it was enormous and even at their current altitude, the top disappeared into the clouds. The Citadel was a monolith of epic proportions, made of stone and bronze colored metal. Large boxy wings stuck out at random intervals, giving the appearance of a staircase from hell. The base covered nearly a square mile and gradually narrowed into a tall spire. All of the canyons and throughways all traced to this location. "It's like it's the center of everything," Sunset remarked.

"That's kind of the point," Raven said. "From this location, the Vex could spread their corruption across the entire planet."

"So what's the plan?" Sunset asked.

Hildr flipped a couple of switches and made several passes around the Citadel. "Right now I'm scanning for any signs of active technology," she said. "Raven, transmit our current location to Agent Smith and the commandos."

Raven's eye blinked rapidly. "Done," he said.

Hildr checked her monitors and wasn't surprised with the results. "As I suspected, dead like everything else."

"So now what?" Sunset asked.

Hildr frowned and pointed the nose of the ship up and opened the throttle. Sunset hung tight as the ship went nearly vertical to reach the top of the Citadel. "Just how tall is this thing?" she asked.

"So far, pretty tall," Raven said. "At this altitude, the air will be pretty thin."

"That won't be a problem," Hildr said.

"For you maybe, but what about Sunset?" Raven asked.

Hildr peeked back over her shoulder. "That might be a problem."

"How much of a problem?" Sunset asked uncertainly.

Hildr glanced at the altimeter. "Oh, five thousand feet above sea level and climbing," she said.

Sunset started to worry and sat back in her seat. Fear was starting to creep in and spread icy fingers through her core. Wild thoughts began to race through her mind and Sunset did her best to push them away. She had Magic and she had Hildr. She had faced great danger before and come out mostly unscathed. What was there for her to be afraid of?

A lot of things actually, and despite her best efforts, her mind started to make a list of all the possible things that could cause permanent injury or death. And that was before she took the Vex into account. Sunset screwed her eyes shut and gently beat her fists on her head.

The ship broke through the clouds and the top was finally in sight. Hildr found a wide platform and hovered just above. "This might feel a bit weird," she called out.

"What?" Sunset asked as Raven transmatted them to the platform. For Sunset, transmatting was a similar experience to going through the mirror portal. Her vision went white, her body went tingly all over, and she felt like she was being pulled apart like taffy. With a flash, Hildr and Sunset appeared on the platform. Hildr landed lightly on her feet and Sunset tripped and fell on her face. She sat up and waited for the wave of nausea to pass. "You could have warned me first," she grumped.

Hildr opened her mouth to speak, but thought better of it and held out a hand to Sunset instead, helping the girl get to her feet. Sunset looked around and shivered. "It's cold up here," she said.

"Indeed. This place is like a desert and doesn't keep the day's heat very well," Hildr agreed. She held out her hand and a thick jacket appeared from her inventory. She handed the garment to Sunset, who quickly put it on. "So, we just wait for backup?" she asked.

Hildr shook her head. "Although it will take some time for them to arrive, we need to head further in." She turned to Raven and said, "Put a beacon here so they know where to go."

"I'm on it," Raven replied with a sigh. Hildr checked her weapons and stowed them accordingly. She then looked Sunset over and hummed to herself. "Have you ever shot a gun before?" she asked.

"What? No. Well, not really," Sunset said. "Applejack lives on a farm and her family has a few hunting rifles and shotguns, but I've never handled one."

Hildr turned to Raven and asked, "Do I have any sidearms in my inventory?"

Raven nodded. "Yes, but there's only one that will be effective against the Vex," he said. Hildr held out her hand and a wireframe appeared and quickly materialized into a gun. Hildr checked it over and held it out to Sunset. "Here. I think you can manage with this."

Sunset looked carefully at the offered weapon. It closely resembled Hildr's rifle, as it was made out of what looked like rusted metal and old, weather beaten wood. "Are you sure about this?" she asked uncertainly.

Hildr frowned. "What's wrong with it?" she asked.

"I feel like I'm going to get tetanus just from looking at it," Sunset replied and made a face. "How do I know it won't fall apart when I use it?"

Hildr's face twisted with annoyance and quick as a flash, she turned around and rapidly pulled the trigger on the gun. The bullets impacted the wall and ricocheted harmlessly into space. When the magazine ran dry, Hildr skillfully ejected the spent mag, slipped a new one in place, released the slide forward, and shot the wall until that magazine was empty. Hildr turned back to Sunset. "Are you satisfied?" she asked.

Sunset's eyes were wide with surprise and she managed to nod her head. Hildr sighed and stepped toward her. "Look. I'm not trying to belittle you or make you feel bad. I'm just trying to look out for you. What we're about to do will probably be the most dangerous and terrifying thing you've ever done."

"I kinda figured that," Sunset mumbled and looked away.

Hildr put her hand on Sunset's shoulder and tried to cheer her up. "We have a little bit of time. I think it would help for you to practice with this gun, just so you don't hurt yourself."

Sunset reluctantly nodded and Hildr spent time going over the basics of the firearm: safety rules, how to operate the gun, loading and unloading a magazine, making the weapon ready to fire, proper aiming techniques, and how to change magazines. Sunset's hands shook slightly as she held the sidearm and carefully aimed. She winced as she pulled the trigger and as a result, her shot went wide.

"The recoil on this gun is very light compared to other guns," Hildr said. "Don't anticipate the shot. Keep your arms straight and the barrel pointed down range. Squeeze the trigger with firm pressure." Sunset took a deep breath and aimed the gun at the wall. "Do you see that spot that's slightly darker than the rest?" Hildr asked and Sunset nodded.

"Keep your eyes open and point the gun at that spot. Remember, _squeeze_ the trigger," Hildr said. Sunset gently applied pressure to the trigger. As the trigger moved back, it became harder to pull. Sunset squeezed just a bit harder and the trigger broke. The gun fired with a light _CRACK_ , startling Sunset.

"Not bad," Hildr said. "You hit the wall this time."

Sunset was pleased with the praise, but her mood quickly darkened when she saw the bullet mark on the wall. "That's not anywhere close to where I was aiming!" she pouted.

"At this point, aiming doesn't matter," Hildr said. "Right now you just need some practice with the fundamentals of shooting. Once you are comfortable handling the weapon, we'll worry about hitting the target."

Sunset frowned, but allowed herself to be coached by Hildr. After several magazines of ammo, Sunset was handling the weapon better and her shots were closer together. "But I still can't seem to hit the right target," she said.

"Don't worry too much about that. You're doing fine," Hildr said. "Groupings don't matter as much, just as long as you can hit the target."

"Oh," Sunset said. She looked down and frowned. "How am I supposed to carry this thing anyway? I don't really want to hold it the whole time."

Hildr looked in her inventory and found a holster that would fit Sunset. She also handed Sunset extra magazine pouches and a small messenger bag. "Here. I think you should hang on to this," she said.

Sunset looked inside and gasped. "Why me?" she asked.

"Because you have the spells and will be the one using it," Hildr said.

Sunset reached inside the bag and pulled out the crystal shard from the Fire of Friendship. "I don't know. I feel like it should be kept somewhere will it will be protected more."

Hildr sighed and tried to keep her annoyance from surfacing. "Do what you like, but you should be the one to keep it. I have a feeling that things might get out of control, and if I keep it, there's no guarantee I will be able to get it to you in time."

"Okay," Sunset reluctantly agreed and put the shard away. Once she was situated, Sunset nodded to Hildr and they set off deeper into the Citadel.

As they explored, Sunset took a chance and carefully peeked over the edge. She saw clouds float lazily past far below and she was struck by a wave of vertigo. She took several deep breaths and closed her eyes until the feeling passed.

"Are you doing okay?" Hildr asked.

"I…I just need a minute," Sunset replied and sat down with her back to the wall.

Hildr looked around and after a moment sat next to her. "Something is bothering you. Out with it," she said.

"No really, I'm fine. I just need a minute process all of this," Sunset said and waved her hands around, indicating to everything.

Hildr nodded. "We'll wait until you're ready," she said.

Sunset cast a sideways glance at Hildr. "You're being awfully nice to me all of a sudden. Where's the real Hildr and what have you done with her?"

"Is it really so hard for you to believe that I can be something other than an overbearing hardass?" Hildr asked. "You of all people should know that there is more than one side to a person."

"Yeah," Sunset replied and hugged her knees.

Hildr reached out and after a moment of hesitation, put her arm around Sunset's shoulders and pulled her close. Sunset's eyes went wide with shock. "I understand if you are feeling scared or nervous. I feel a bit of the same myself," Hildr said.

Sunset shook her head to try and focus her thoughts after Hildr's show of affection. "So how do you do it? What's your secret to bravely stepping into the unknown while feeling scared out of your mind?"

"Like I do everything else," Hildr said. "I make up my mind and I just do it. I push all the doubts aside and ignore the little voice that tries to put doubt in my heart."

"Sometimes that tiny bit of doubt can be a good thing," Sunset replied. "I think that's the difference between bravery and carelessness."

Hildr nodded. "I agree, however, I think experience also plays a part. The first time you rode a motorcycle, did you twist the throttle wide open and try to set a new land speed record?"

Sunset chuckled. "Not hardly. I was so nervous, I thought I was going to fall over and make a fool of myself."

"Exactly," Hildr said. "Now that you have experience, confidence, wisdom and a bit of brashness, cracking triple digits doesn't seem like a big deal."

Sunset thought for a moment. "I think I see your point," she said. She then grinned and waggled her

eyebrows suggestively at Hildr. "Besides, how would you know if I do dumb things on my motorcycle?"

Hildr rolled her eyes. "It is clear to me that your style of motorcycle is designed for speed and handling. And I have met the pegasus Rainbow Dash. Since you have told me that your human friends share traits with their pony counterparts, I assume that the two of you have engaged in plenty of questionable activities involving motorcycles and high speeds."

"I will neither confirm nor deny that statement," Sunset replied and turned her nose up at Hildr. "I am shocked and appalled that you would think that I am anything more than a model citizen."

Hildr chuckled and rose to her feet. "I think we've delayed long enough," she said. Sunset let out a short breath and stood up. She still felt a bit wobbly in the knees, but the vertigo was gone. Sunset followed Hildr to the edge and looked out. "Do you see that platform over there?" Hildr asked and pointed.

Sunset squinted and looked carefully. "It's hard to see in the dark, but I think so," she said. Hildr pulled out a pair of binoculars. "I think that's what we're looking for," she said.

Sunset carefully peeked over the edge. "So how are we going to get there?" she asked.

Raven floated around and scanned everything he could see. "Hmm. I'm detecting irregularities in the local time space continuum," he said.

"Meaning what?" Hildr asked.

Sunset looked out and saw a small platform that she was certain wasn't there before. "Hey, what's that?" she called out.

Hildr and Raven looked where she was pointing. "Interesting. I think that platform is the disturbance I was sensing," Raven said. While they were watching, the platform disappeared in a flash of light. Lines of light appeared in the air and a different platform appeared. Hildr watched and made a note of the platforms locations and how long they appeared. "It seems like we're going to have to jump across," she said.

Sunset backed away from the edge and vigorously shook her head. "Uh-uh. No way. I can't make that jump," she said.

Hildr and Raven shared a look. "I'd offer to carry you, but I don't think I would make it either," Hildr said. "Doesn't your magic enhance your natural abilities?"

Sunset nodded. "To a certain degree yes, but I don't really feel like testing that out right now."

Hildr placed her hands on Sunset's shoulders and looked down with her unrelenting stare. "I won't force you to do anything you would feel uncomfortable with. If you like, you can stay here and wait for the backup. I will go ahead and scout the area."

Sunset looked into Hildr's eyes. She wasn't being mean or threatening, she was showing how much she cared in her own way. Sunset closed her eyes and searched deep inside herself. She found the spark that was her magic and she reached out to it. It responded to her touch by flaring up and filling Sunset with warmth. Although they weren't here, she could feel the presence of her friends and it brought joy and contentment to her heart. Sunset felt a surge of power and when she opened her eyes, her body was covered in a red aura. She reached up and felt the pony ears on her head.

Hildr gave her a careful look. "Are you sure?"

"Nope," Sunset replied. "The night's not getting any younger and we're wasting time. Let's go."

A faint grin appeared on Hildr's face and stepped up to the edge next to Sunset. "Remember, the first platform will appear there," Hildr said and pointed out into space. "The next will be there, then there, and there, and there," she added.

Sunset carefully noted the locations Hildr pointed out. "We'll only have about ten seconds, so we have to move fast," Hildr added.

Sunset stepped back and crouched. When the white lines appeared, she sprinted forward and leapt as far as she could. A rush of exhilaration overcame Sunset as jumped out into space, followed by a bolt of fear as she thought she over-jumped the platform. Her feet touched down and she stumbled to her knees, very much alive.

"Don't stop! Keep going!" Hildr cried out as she floated to the platform. Sunset scrambled to her feet and she jumped to the next platform. With everything happening so quickly, Sunset didn't have time to second guess herself. She put those thoughts aside and jumped from platform to platform.

The last platform was a bit larger than she expected and Sunset sprinted as hard as she could to the edge. The platform started to glow and aided by adrenaline and fear, Sunset let out a shout and jumped as hard as she could. The instant she lifted off, the platform faded from existence.

She wasn't going to make it. Sunset realized she had mistimed her jump and she had reached the apex of her jump. Gravity was starting to take over and now she was going to fall to her death. Her breath caught in her throat as she desperately reached for the platform.

 _No! It can't end like this! I refuse to accept it!_ Sunset's mind raged. Time seemed to slow as she fell. Sunset stretched her arm until it felt like it was going to pull out of its socket. Sunset reached down into her magic and desperately tried to think of a spell, anything that could help her. At that moment, realization dawned on her. It was a gamble, since she had never attempted this particular spell since coming to the Human world, but it was her only chance.

Sunset tapped her magic and focused on the edge of the platform with all her might. Her salvation was so close, just tantalizingly out of reach. Sunset closed her eyes and concentrated as hard as she could. The spell was fighting her, probably because it had been so long. Sunset gave everything she had. The edges of her vision faded to white and everything became blurry for a moment.

Everything suddenly snapped back into focus and Sunset found herself terribly off balance and standing precariously on the edge of the platform. She started to panic as she started to fall backwards. Just as her foot slipped, Hildr reached out and grabbed her, pulling Sunset to safety.

"I got you," Hildr said and wrapped Sunset in her arms. "You're safe for now."

Sunset took in deep breaths to try and calm her racing heart. She was starting to come down off her adrenaline high and her body was shaking all over. Sunset choked out a sob and clutched Hildr tightly.

Hildr gently stroked Sunset's hair and waited for her to calm down. "That was very impressive. A teleportation spell?" she asked. Sunset nodded in Hildr's chest. "It reminds me of an ability some Hunters and Warlocks have called Blink."

Sunset pushed away from Hildr and wiped her eyes. "Thank you for saving me," she said.

"You did the hard part. I just helped a little at the end," Hildr said. She cocked her head to the side and asked, "So. Feel any different?"

Sunset frowned and looked down at herself. She was still "ponied up" as far as she could tell. "I don't think I understand what you mean," she said.

"It seems to me that you have just unlocked another ability you used to have," Hildr said. "You are slowly regaining your former abilities. I think you are more capable than you give yourself credit for."

Sunset let out a sigh. "It would be nice if I didn't have to face certain death to prove it thought."

Hildr shrugged. "As terrible as it sounds, self-preservation is a powerful motivator."

Fortunately, the rest of the way wasn't nearly as intense. They followed the path up a few ramps, around several corners and emerged out into a large flat rectangular area. At the far end was a large Vex portal. Several smaller ones ringed the perimeter. Like everything else, all the portals were dead.

"I hate to say it, but now what?" Sunset asked.

Hildr looked around. "We wait for our backup."

Fortunately, they didn't have to wait long. Hildr turned when she heard footsteps and saw a squad of six commandos. They all wore the same uniform; dark jump suit, soft sole boots, body armor and helmets. Each was holding a compact rifle and all were pointed at Hildr and Sunset. Sunset shrank back and hid behind Hildr.

"So. You're the squad sent by Agent Smith?" Hildr snorted.

One of the commandos stepped forward and said, "That's right ma'am. And we have orders to take both of you in to custody."

Hildr rolled her eyes. "Of course you do. At least you were polite enough to say so before shooting, unlike the last group."

The man tightened his grip on his weapon and the rest of the squad tensed up. "If you will not comply, we will be forced to take appropriate measures."

Hildr put her hands on her hips and shook her head. "Didn't Smith tell you guys anything? Why do you think you are here right now?"

"I can't answer that," the leader said. "This is your last warning. Drop your weapons and lie face down on the ground."

Hildr was quickly starting to lose her patience. "Oh, this just keeps getting better and better." She sighed and added, "I really don't blame you for reacting this way. It is a natural reaction upon learning that everything you thought you knew was a lie."

Rather than reply, the man signaled to his squad and they quickly surrounded Hildr and Sunset. Hildr turned to Sunset and asked, "How quickly can you activate the spell?"

"It won't take long," Sunset said. She looked around nervously at the squad members and put her hand over her bag.

Very carefully, Hildr reached up and put her helmet on. "I'll give you as much time as I can," she said. "Hopefully you're still fireproof."

"What?" Sunset exclaimed and quickly turned around.

Hildr's hand started to glow white with energy as she raised it above her head. _Time to see if this still works,_ she thought. Since coming back through the mirror, the Magic wasn't as strong, but it was still there, intermingled with her Light. Hildr threw her hand down and pool of swirling energy appeared at her feet. Just as quickly, Hildr threw down her other hand and a sphere of burning energy surrounded her and Sunset.

The commandos immediately opened fire, but their bullets melted in the intense heat. The shards that managed to make it through pinged harmlessly off Hildr's armor.

Sunset started to panic and looked around wildly. "What is this? What did you do?" she asked.

"Focus!" Hildr said sharply. "I'm trying to keep them from killing us!"

Sunset quickly calmed down. Thanks to her own magic and the influence of Hildr's light, the intense heat was bearable. Sunset reached into her bag and pulled out the crystal shard. The purple flames danced hypnotically across its surface.

Sunset focused her magic in her hands and suddenly felt a rush of power as it interacted with the shard. The magic in the shard wanted to escape and Sunset struggled to keep it under control. Sweat dripped down her neck as she concentrated. When she was able to keep it stable, Sunset whispered the incantation for the spell.

Normally, an incantation wasn't necessary, but this was a high level and complex spell. Sunset focused the magic and concentrated on what she wanted it to do. The magic responded to her will and shaped itself accordingly. When she was ready, Sunset lifted the shard into the air and spoke the final line of the spell.

The crystal shard began to glow brightly and a wave of energy expanded outward. The sudden release of magic knocked the commandos back, snuffed out Hildr's fire, and caused the healing pool to wink out.

The commandos jumped to their feet and quickly regrouped. "What was that? What did you do?" the leader demanded.

Hildr looked around. "Hopefully we'll find out," she said.

The Citadel began to rumble and a low thrumming sound could be heard from deep within. The portals started to spark in the center before coming fully to life. Long, thin pieces of metal started to glow, providing illumination.

"Raven, start scanning for a conflux," Hildr said quickly.

" _I'm doing the best I can while using your armor's systems,"_ Raven replied. _"I really don't feel like getting shot right now."_

"Just hurry," Hildr said and faced the commandos. They looked around in awe and a bit of fear and kept their weapons pointed up. "Hey. Listen up," she said. All the commandos quickly pointed their weapons at her. "Could you not point those at me right now?" Hildr exasperated.

"Given the circumstances, I don't see why we should listen to you," the leader said.

Hildr glared at him. "Do you have a name or am I just going to have to call you Leader and his Group of Idiots."

The man lowered his weapon, just a tad. "The name's Captain Armor ma'am."

Sunset's jaw dropped. "Armor? As in Shining Armor?" she gasped.

Captain Armor frowned. "That's right. Do we know each other?"

"Nope. Not at all. We've never met," Sunset said hurriedly and played with her hair.

Not quite convinced, Armor turned back to Hildr. "Care to explain what this is all about?"

"Oh. So NOW you want to know?" Hildr exasperated. She threw her arms up and shouted, "Unbelievable! That Agent Smith is a hack and a stooge!" She whirled on Captain Armor and pointed her finger in his face. "Listen carefully to what I about to tell you, since that moron didn't do his job like I asked. Any minute now, a race of highly advance robots is going to start emerging from those portals."

Captain Armor glared at Hildr. "So is that your purpose? To invade our world with these robots?"

"Not in the slightest!" Hildr shouted. "I'm trying to use these portals to go home!"

Captain Armor pointed to the nearest portal. "They all appear to be working. Take your pick."

"I can't because I don't have the right access," Hildr growled. "I need a conflux, or remote terminal, to trick the portal into thinking I'm one of the robots."

Captain Armor stared at HIldr. "In all my time in the Royal Guard and Elite Forces, that is the craziest story I have ever heard."

"Oh really? Then how do you explain how _any of this_ got here in the first place!" Hildr shouted. She turned to Sunset and asked, "Is this entire planet inhabited by morons?"

Sunset shrugged. "How should I know? I'm not from here remember?"

"Good point," Hildr said and turned back to Captain Armor. She took a deep breath to calm down. "Okay. This is how this is going to work. I need to find a conflux. You all," and she pointed to Captain Armor and the rest of his squad, "are going to keep the Vex busy by killing as many as you can as quickly as you can. Otherwise you'll be overwhelmed."

"What about me?" Sunset asked.

"You back them up," Hildr said. "You have Magic, plus the gun I gave you. Use that."

 _"Hildr, I've located an access terminal,"_ Raven said over her helmet speakers. _"It's not far. I'll mark it on your display."_ A white arrow appeared in Hildr's view. "Okay. The access point is located. You all take cover and kill anything that comes through." Hildr pointed around the corner. "I'm going to be right over there. If it gets too bad, give a shout." And with that, she ran off.

Captain Armor and his commandos watched her go, then slowly turned their attention to Sunset. Her eyes went wide when she noticed the looks they were giving her. She managed a nervous chuckle and a wave. "Hey guys. What's up?"

Hildr ran down the ramp and turned the corner. She followed the path back the way they had come and found the conflux. Unfortunately, a portal was close by. If any Vex appeared, Hildr would have no cover. Raven appeared over her shoulder. "I'll get right on this," he said and zoomed over to the conflux.

Hildr pulled her pulse rifle over her shoulder and checked the magazine. "You do that," she replied testily. "How long do you need?"

"Depends," Raven replied. "I'll go as fast as I can."

Hildr started to become antsy and her body tingled in anticipation. As if the gods wanted to oblige her, the portal flashed and two Vex Goblins appeared. Before they could take another step, Hildr gunned them down. "The Vex are here," she warned.

"Three minutes tops," Raven replied. "It's been a while since I've had to deal with this level of security, so I'm a bit rusty."

More Vex appeared and Hildr's rifle locked open as she fired the last bullets. She dodged a blast from a Hobgoblin as she reloaded and quickly closed the distance to the Hobgoblin. Before it could teleport away, Hildr swapped for her shotgun and blasted the Hobgoblin point blank. Before Hildr could move, she caught a blast square in the back and fell forward. She rolled over and stared up at a Minotaur with its foot raised over her head. Hildr continued her roll just as the Minotaur stepped down, missing her head by inches. From her back, Hildr unloaded the rest of her shotgun magazine into the Minotaur, turning it into scrap metal.

"A little help please?" Raven asked, his voice rising in panic. Hildr jumped to her feet and tossed a flaming ball of energy into the group of Goblins surrounding the conflux. It landed on the ground and quickly expanded into a small sun. The Goblins melted apart before they could move.

Hildr reloaded her weapons as she ran to the Conflux. She racked the shotgun before stowing it over her shoulder. "Is everything okay now?" she asked as she quickly checked her pulse rifle for damage.

"For the moment," Raven said. "You might want to pay attention to that though."

Hildr looked up as two Minotaurs ran toward her. Hildr let out a growl and ran to meet them.

Sunset ducked behind the wall as the energy beam from the Hobgoblin hit nearby, sending shards of hot metal everywhere. She looked around to see how Captain Armor and his commandos were faring. She had tried to warn them about the Vex as best as she could, but once they started showing up, the commandos learned pretty quickly.

Sunset peeked out again and saw a Minotaur stalking towards them. Her pulse quickened as she pulled out the sidearm and tried to remember what Hildr had taught her. Sunset steadied her shaking hands and pulled the trigger. The pistol cracked three times and the Minotaur's shield failed. It staggered briefly as its systems were overloaded. Captain Armor took the chance to pour bullets into the Minotaur and it dropped to the ground.

Sunset ducked behind her wall again and checked her bullets. She saw movement out of the corner of her eye and looked up in horror as a Hobgoblin had teleported behind them and was drawing a bead on one of the commandos.

"No!" Sunset shouted and thrust her hand out. She felt a draw on her magic and a fireball appeared and hit the Hobgoblin, interrupting its aim. It then turned its attention to Sunset and pointed its weapon at her. In a panic, Sunset raised her weapon and emptied the magazine. The Hobgoblin twitched from the impacts and fell to the ground and lay still.

Sunset blew out a deep breath and changed magazines with shaking hands. Captain Armor and his troops were disciplined and highly trained, but nothing could prepare you for an enemy you have never faced before. They were holding their own, but the Vex were starting to overwhelm them.

Sunset became frustrated. "What more can I do?" she asked out loud. He hand went to the pendant around her neck. "Everyone is counting on me, one way or another," she said. Sunset opened her eyes and a new fire burned brightly within. "I will not go down without a fight. Hildr would be disappointed otherwise." This thought brought a smile to her face.

Sunset's pendant began to glow and fire spread throughout her body. Captain Armor noticed a flash of light out of the corner of his eye and watched as Sunset's body began to glow bright red. Her outline slowly morphed and changed shape, and when the light faded, Sunset was wearing new clothes.

Sunset looked herself over in awe. She wore knee length leather boots with metal plating and black leggings. Her hips were covered with a short leather skirt that was open in the front and tied with a wide belt and buckle. A tight weave of cloth material and light armor plating covered her upper body. She wore elbow length gloves with light armor on her arms, leaving her hands free. Her hair was pulled back in a long pony tail and stuck through a hole in her metal helmet, along with her pony ears.

"Whoa. This is different," Sunset said in awe. An energy beam whizzed past her head, bringing Sunset back to reality. She quickly ducked and glared at the Hobgoblin that tried to shoot her. "I'm starting to get _real_ irritated with you," Sunset growled. She gripped her weapon in her hand and found herself wishing she had something with a little more impact.

Her Magic responded to her desire and her hand started to burn. Golden flames wrapped around the sidearm and changed it to a weapon that suited Sunset's needs. She raised her arm, pointed her golden gun at the nearest Goblin, and pulled the trigger.

There was no _CRACK_ of bullets, but an angry _WOOSH_ as streams of white hot flame shot forth like a laser and burned the Vex to ash. Sunset shifted her aim and disintegrated another Vex. Every time Sunset pointed her gun, a Vex burned. She focused on the Minotaurs since they posed the biggest problem.

Hildr had a quick moment to catch her breath and she watched Sunset's transformation and subsequent rampage against the Vex. There was an inherent beauty in the destruction. Sunset's body was enveloped in red energy and the golden gun flashed with each trigger pull.

"Look at that Raven. She's a natural Gunslinger. Ana would be proud," Hildr remarked.

"Oh? Do I detect a hint of pride in your voice?" Raven asked.

After a short pause, Hildr gave a quick nod. "I guess so."

"Good, because I'm done here," Raven said and disappeared. _"We have what we need. We can go."_

Hildr didn't waste any time and ran to rejoin the others. As she ran up the ramp, the large portal at the far end began to flash and send out waves of light. The remaining Vex crouched down and faded from existence.

Captain Armor kept his weapon raised and cautiously emerged from cover. "Is it over now?" he asked.

Sunset's golden gun faded and disappeared, leaving her feeling drained. She sighed and bent over. "I hope so," she muttered.

Hildr walked boldly out to the center and stood before the large Vex gate. "It's not over yet," she said.

Sunset stood up and groaned. Captain Armor and his troops checked their weapons. The portal flashed one more time, followed by a loud _THRUM_. A large wireframe shape appeared and the biggest Hydra Sunset had ever seen appeared. Granted, she had only seen one Vex Hydra before, but this one clearly outclassed the other.

"What is that?" Captain Armor shouted.

"An Axis Mind," Hildr replied defiantly.

"How do we kill it?" he asked.

"Shoot it. A lot," Hildr replied.

"We don't have enough bullets!" Captain armor replied angrily.

"We still have grenades," one of the commandos spoke up. Captain Armor glared in reply and pulled a grenade off his harness.

The Axis Mind looked around and turned its attention to Hildr. She stood alone before the giant Hydra, completely fearless. "Hi. You're in my way," Hildr said simply.

The Axis Mind replied with a barrage of loud, angry mechanical noises and opened fire with its powerful weapons.

Captain Armor and his troops started throwing grenades. Most exploded harmlessly against the Mind's rotating energy shield, but a few lucky ones rolled up underneath before exploding.

Hildr jumped up and floated above the Mind and emptied her shotgun against its unprotected head. The Mind rotated about and brought its guns to bear on Hildr and started shooting. Hildr dodged to the side and quickly fell to the ground. She tossed flaming balls of energy between the Mind's shields, lighting it on fire. It screeched in protest and moved away from the fireballs.

Sunset looked down at the small gun in her hand. She didn't think she had enough magic left to form the golden gun again, and she didn't want to use the crystal shard since she still needed the magic for the other spell. She made her way to Captain Armor and leaned against the wall. He noticed her and frowned. "What are you doing? Fight back!"

Sunset sighed. "Sorry. Just taking a quick breather."

"Well hurry up already," he said angrily and tossed another grenade. "None of us can afford to slack off against this thing if you want to make it out of here alive."

Taking advantage of their lapse in concentration, the Mind unleashed a barrage directly at Sunset and Captain Armor. Hildr swooped in and tackled them behind cover. Sunset curled up in a little ball as the constant stream of energy shook the ground. When it finally ended, Hildr picked herself up and angrily pulled Sunset and Captain Armor to their feet. "What's wrong with you?" she asked and smacked them both on the head. "Now is not the time for daydreaming!"

"I'm sorry," Sunset said. "All this fighting has drained a lot of my magic and made me really tired."

Hildr turned to Captain Armor. "What's your excuse?" Captain Armor shrugged and shook his head. A cry went out from one of the commandos and Hildr turned around to see one of them had taken a large piece of shrapnel through the leg.

"Let's go!" she said and rushed to the commando's side. She threw down a pool of healing energy and quickly went to work stabilizing the commando. Sunset stumbled inside the circle of light and felt a rush of energy. Her fatigue faded and she felt her magic being restored little by little. She looked up at the Mind and her brow furrowed. "I have a plan," she announced.

"Oh? This will be good," Hildr said as she wrapped the commando's leg.

Sunset rolled her eyes. "You have what you need to use the portal right?" she asked and Hildr nodded.

"Okay then. The plan is simple. We distract the giant Hydra and you go through the portal," Sunset said.

Hildr stopped what she was doing and stared stupidly up at Sunset. "Have you taken too many hits to the head?" she asked. "Do you need to sit down and let me look at you?"

Sunset crossed her arms and glared at Hildr. "Oh. You were serious," Hildr said.

"Of course I'm serious," Sunset said.

Hildr finished up with the wounded commando and patted him on the shoulder. She rose to her feet and faced Sunset. "Fine. We don't have time to argue. Do what you will." Hildr pulled her sword out and stepped out to face the Mind.

"Are you crazy? What are you going to do with just a sword?" Captain Armor asked.

Hildr didn't bother replying. She touched her Light and her body burst into flames. Captain Armor stared in shock as large golden wings appeared on Hildr's back and she jumped into the air. The Mind noticed her and started shooting. Hildr dodged the blasts and swung her sword. A string of fire appeared along the edge of the sword and lashed out at the Mind. With every swing, the fire from Hildr's sword made deep cuts in the Mind's metal skin.

Sunset watched carefully. The Mind was weakening, but it wasn't enough. They needed more power. Sunset reached into her bag and pulled out the crystal shard. It felt lighter than before and the purple flames weren't as vibrant. Sunset considered her next course of action very carefully. Hildr's healing pool had restored some of her magic, but she still needed more. This would be tricky. She needed to borrow magic from the shard, but still have enough left over for the spell.

Sunset shook her head. No time for doubts. With Hildr distracting the Mind, Sunset closed her eyes to concentrate. Like with the teleportation spell, she hadn't use this spell in a very long time. She pulled deep from her magic and gently touched on the shard. Little by little, Sunset shaped and formed the magic. She opened her eyes just as Hildr's Light extinguished. It was now or never.

Sunset completed the spell and thrust out with her hand toward the Mind. A tiny flicker of light appeared in its center. Sunset slowly clenched her fist and the tiny light began to grow and turn on itself. Sunset focused harder and raised her hand in the air. The light expanded outward and a shockwave nearly knocked everyone over. Sunset ignored this and kept her focus squarely on the Mind where a new sun had appeared. Deep gold and bright red swirled together at the center. The Mind screeched in agony as it attempted to escape the inferno, but Sunset kept it firmly anchored.

Severely damaged from Hildr's assault, the Mind had little defenses remaining against Sunset's starfire spell. Its outer protrusions melted into slag and fell away. The starfire quickly ate its way through the Mind's outer plating and into its core. Flames began shooting out of the gaps in the Mind's armor and its shield generators faded out. With one last cry of anguish, the rest of the Mind melted into liquid metal.

Captain Armor and his commandos could only watch in awe. What else was there for them to do? A new sun had been born into existence before their very eyes. Heat radiated off it in visible waves and Captain Armor could barely look at it. Sunset's face was a mask of pure concentration. She didn't blink and barely remembered to breathe. Like she told Hildr, fire is an animal that doesn't like being caged. Sunset couldn't let up for one second, or there could be disastrous consequences.

Hildr stood to one side and watched carefully. Sunset had indeed exceeded her expectations. Hildr was confident she would continue to grow and become a beautiful woman. Hildr felt a light pang of regret that she wouldn't be able to see it.

With the Mind defeated, Sunset allowed herself to relax, just a little. As she shifted her focus, the starfire began to contract and burn itself out. Sunset looked down at the crystal shard in her hand. Yes, it still had what she needed. Once again, Sunset held the shard in her hands as she chanted the incantation. Her voice echoed through the area, proud and strong. Hildr could only pick out bits and pieces, but she understood the gist of it. Squaring her shoulders, Hildr stepped around the rapidly cooling mass of metal that used to be the Axis Mind and approached the portal.

Sunset continued with the spell. The shard began to glow as the remaining magic surrounded her and lifted her into the air. Sunset poured everything she had left into the spell. What else was there? This was the end. Sunset's Empathy Touch activated and she saw her own memories of the past week, everything that had happened since meeting Hildr. She thought about her meeting with Princess Celestia and it filled her with joy. Her mind shifted to Hildr and conflicting emotions collided within her. At first she was upset and annoyed, then indifferent, and finally understanding. But now she felt a pang of sorrow. Sunset looked down and saw Hildr standing before the portal.

Her breath caught in her throat. So this was it. Sunset knew Hildr would have to leave eventually, but a small part of her hoped that there would be time for a proper goodbye. A small tear escaped her eye and fell down her cheek. No. This was the way it had to be. Hildr would settle for nothing less.

As if sensing her hesitation, Hildr looked up and locked eyes with Sunset. Sunset couldn't see her face through her helmet, but she imagined Hildr was content. She watched as Hildr turned back to the portal and pulled the sword off her back. She raised it into the air and stabbed it into the ground. After a short pause, Hildr tossed her head back and strode confidently through the portal. Sunset chanted the last line of the spell. The shard began to pulse and glow brightly with rainbow colors. Soon it became too bright to look at, forcing Sunset to squint her eyes. Then everything went white.

* * *

A week later, Sunset sat at home, listening to the radio and surrounded by her friends. The news anchor was talking about how scientists and engineers were sill baffled by the mysterious Aurora Borealis and momentary planet-wide black out the previous week. It was mostly agreed that a rare solar flare had caused a severe reaction with the planet's magnetic field. Sunset could only chuckle to herself. _If only they knew._

Rainbow Dash and Apple Jack were playing a competitive video game with Fluttershy watching nearby. Rarity was engrossed in her latest fashion magazine, and Pinkie Pie was in Sunset's tiny kitchen making cookies. Twilight Sparkle (the human one) was sitting next to Sunset and reading a book while keeping an ear to the news. She sighed and shook her head. "You know, I don't by the whole, 'It was just a solar flare' excuse," she said.

"Why not?" Sunset asked.

Twilight pushed her glasses up on her nose. "I've been doing some research and my findings just don't add up. From what I've found, our sun was not active and displayed none of the signs that normally lead to an event. I think someone is trying to hide something."

"And what would someone be trying to hide?" Sunset asked, suddenly interested.

Twilight gave her a curious look. "Well for starters, around the time they are claiming the solar flare happened, my pendant activated and my magic suddenly spiked."

"Yeah, me too," Rainbow Dash spoke up. Everyone else nodded in agreement and stared expectantly at Sunset.

"What do you want me to say?" she asked with a shrug. "I had the same experience you all did."

Applejack glared at Sunset. "Somehow, I don't quite believe you," she said.

"Aw give it a rest AJ," Rainbow said and gave her a light shove. "You're just making excuses for me kicking your butt in this game."

Applejack turned to face her friend. "I ain't makin' excuses for nothin."

Rainbow rolled her eyes and crawled over to peek over Sunset's shoulder. "Whatcha workin' on?" she asked.

"Oh, just an idea I had," Sunset said and turned her sketchpad for Rainbow to see. "Whoa, that's so cool!" Rainbow exclaimed. "I didn't know you were an artist."

"I dabble from time to time," Sunset replied with a shrug. Rainbow grabbed the sketchbook and quickly read through the pages. "I'm really digging these character designs. And the action is totally

awesome! What's it about?"

"A time traveling space wizard from the future fighting against an endless enemy of evil robots who want to convert the universe into a giant machine, one planet at a time," Sunset said with suspense.

"Ooh, I got the chills!" Rainbow giggled. "What's it called?" She flipped to the front and read the title. " _Valkyrie_. So mysterious!"

"It's a work in progress," Sunset admitted sheepishly.

Rarity leaned over and glanced over the art. "I must say, the design for your Valkyrie character is most interesting. What was your inspiration?"

"I was thinking of a medieval knights and wizards look with a futuristic twist," Sunset explained. _Actually, it's Hildr's armor as best as I can remember._

Rarity frowned and turned the book sideways. "Hmm. I'm not quite sure what I think, but it fits the character and narrative you've created."

"Thanks, I guess," Sunset said and took her book back.

Applejack pointed to the wall behind Sunset's couch. "I've been meanin' to ask, but where did you find that?"

Sunset looked where she was pointing and saw Hildr's sword hanging on her wall. "I found it in that specialty shop in the mall," Sunset lied. "When I saw it, it made me think of knights in armor fighting dragons and going on epic adventures. Actually, that's kind of how I got the idea for my story in the first place."

"Really? Because I thought it was because you got it from a strange lady that you met in the woods who came through a magic portal that wasn't the mirror from a dark and depressing future who only came here because she was fighting the bad robots and you took her to the pony Equestria to get a _really_ powerful magic spell to beat the robots and send the strange lady back to her world," Pinkie Pie blurted out.

The rest of the girls just stared at her in shock. "Or not," Pinkie added and smiled as she stuffed a handful of cookies in her mouth.

Twilight slowly turned to face Sunset. "You'd tell us if something like that happened, right?" she asked.

Sunset chuckled nervously.

* * *

 _Dear Princess Twilight,_

 _I'm sorry I haven't written in a while, but so much has happened that I don't know where to begin. I guess I should start with what happened after Hildr and I went back through the mirror. We ended up meeting with that government agent I met before and we…came to an understanding. Hildr and I then flew to the far continent to look for a Vex portal. We found one at the top of an enormous tower called the Citadel._

 _Before I go any further, I just want to tell you it worked Twilight! The Magic from the piece of crystal we got from the Fire of Friendship was more than enough for what we needed. I was able to use the spell from Princess Celestia and the Vex technology came to life. However, just as we feared, the Vex started coming through the portals. Hildr and I, along with some troops sent by the government managed to defeat them and Hildr went back through the portal. Don't worry, the other spell worked just fine and turned everything off again. I must say I was quite surprised to find the spell might have worked a little too well and caused a planet wide blackout. Oops._

 _Twilight, using the power from the Fire of Friendship was the most exhilarating and intense experience I've ever had. The time I temporarily borrowed my friend's Magic of Friendship to fight with my Twilight was nothing compared to this. It helped me harness my magic in ways I never thought were possible. I wonder if that's how Hildr feels when she uses her Light?_

 _Speaking of Hildr, she is gone. To be honest, I am sad that she left. I understand why she did, but that doesn't make our parting any less painful. I find that interesting. I knew her for barely a week and at the time, I couldn't wait for her to be gone. But as I spent time with her, talked with her, and fought by her side, I feel like I came to understand her just a little bit. Although our time was brief, I learned a lot from her. Hildr showed me what can happen if we close our hearts and avoid relationships with others. The reason she pushed herself so hard was to hide the pain she felt from leaving those she cared about the most. Honestly, I don't blame her. With all the loss and terrible things she's experienced, how could you not close yourself off to avoid being hurt?_

 _I believe that some relationships aren't meant to last. What I mean is, I think that there are people that we meet that are supposed to have a lasting impact on our lives. I think that's what Hildr was, not just for me, but for everyone she encountered while she was here. As much as you hate to admit it Twilight, you learned a thing or two from Hildr. I can only imagine what Princess Celestia and Luna think of her._

 _As for me, I feel…content. Hopefully the excitement will drop down to a more reasonable level. I don't know how much more I can take right now. Summer is supposed to be for relaxing, not running around with a stranger from the stars. School will be starting again soon and Pinkie is planning a beach trip to close out the summer. I can't wait. It should be a time to remember._

 _Anyway, it's getting late and I should get to bed. Using up so much of my magic has left me pretty exhausted these last few days. I'll talk to you later._

 _Your friend always,_

 _Sunset Shimmer_

* * *

The sky was a dreary and depressing gray. Thick clouds covered the sky and blotted out the sun. Off in the distance, a volcano sat belching smoke and noxious fumes into the sky. To make matters worse, it was raining. Of course, it was always raining on Venus, but that was beside the point. Not that it bothered the hunter. She sat on a block of square cut stone underneath a ledge that provided some shelter from the misting rain. She absentmindedly played with her knife as she stared at an old Vex portal.

Her Ghost hovered nearby. He was mumbling to himself and flitting about nervously. "Why are we here? Is this necessary? Are you sure this will work? What if a Vex patrol finds us? What if the Fallen find us? Oh dear." And on and on. It was starting to get on her nerves.

"Calm down before you make yourself sick," she said tiredly.

"I can't get sick. No Ghost can get sick," he replied and went back to what he was doing.

The hunter sighed. She'd been here for almost an hour already. If something didn't happen soon, she was going to get annoyed.

Finally, the portal started to spark and slowly came to life. The hunter put her knife away and sat up to watch. Her Ghost also ceased his ramblings and turned his attention to the portal. At first, nothing happened, but then a figure appeared and walked confidently out of the portal.

Hildr looked around and took note of her surroundings. It seemed that very little had changed since she first stepped through the portal. The sky was still depressing and the local vegetation seemed to have grown a little.

"Well. It seems something is finally going our way," Raven said as he appeared over her shoulder.

"Now we just need to figure out when we are," Hildr said.

"Yo. I can help with that," the hunter spoke up.

Hildr quickly turned and pointed her rifle in the direction of the voice. The hunter slowly stood and raised her hands above her head. "I would like it if you didn't shoot me," she said.

Hildr frowned and lowered her weapon. The hunter jumped down and slowly approached. Hildr noted her armor was mostly white and gray with blue piping. Her chest armor was an interesting design of symmetrical silver straps and buckles along the ribs. The hunter's cloak fell nearly to her feet and was attached at the neck with a wide collar. Her hood was pulled low to keep the rain off, but Hildr could see her faceplate was monogrammed with the Future War Cult symbol. "So. You are one of the cultists?" she asked warily.

The hunter nodded. "You could say that."

"What's your name Hunter? Why are you out here?" Hildr asked.

The hunter pointed her thumb at herself and said, "Name's Nyx, and I've been expecting you. We have a lot to catch up on."

Hildr was surprised. "You were expecting us? How?"

Nyx lowered her arms and put her hands on her hips. "The actual explanation would be too long and boring, but I'm here because The Plot demands it."

"What?" Hildr asked, clearly confused.

"Just come with me. Like I said, we have a lot to talk about. Much has happened while you were gone," Nyx said.

Hildr hesitated. She wasn't sure what to make of this mysterious Hunter. She and Raven shared a look.

"It can't hurt I suppose," Raven said.

Hildr sighed and stared long and hard at Nyx. "Very well. I will listen to what you have to say."

Nyx nodded and waved Hildr forward. When Hildr was several paces ahead, Nyx stopped and looked to the sky, as if staring past time and space. "This is where this story ends, oh reader mine. Perhaps in time, a new one will begin." Nyx then shook her head, as if clearing the cobwebs, and walked after Hildr.


End file.
